And such agents of change are, first of all, teachers.

A modern child needs to be told how to look for additional knowledge and how to use it, how to use it to solve their own or professional problems.

Now we have a classical school of knowledge, but it does not help us, unfortunately, to improve the quality of science and mathematics education. And the crisis, in fact, is that only this knowledge method of knowledge transfer, we no longer solve the problem of quality education. Today we need to improve the methodology of studying mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, to modernize the content of education, because these sciences are evolving and moving forward.

Now there is a lot of information in textbooks, it is multiplied, and every time something new is added to textbooks and programs. And we see that children have started dropping out of school. Here he missed something, and can no longer fill the gap, for example, in physics or chemistry, and can not move on. So children lose interest in learning.

Including due to the large amount of knowledge and skills that children must acquire during the general secondary education, we must extend the time of study to 12 years. This is also one of the components of the new Ukrainian school.

For me, the priority is the so-called STEAM-education, which includes science and mathematics education. It is these subjects that shape innovative thinking, and today the humanities need innovative thinking. Because everyone needs to be able to solve each problem in such a way as to solve it in successive steps, either in personal life or in any profession.

For high school changes in curricula and programs are offered? Can the public join this process?

We are currently discussing proposals for new curricula for grades 10-11. They should come into force in 2018, you can join their discussion on the website of the Ministry.

It is necessary to understand that 10-11 classes are already profile school. As a rule, children have already decided at this point whether they are humanities or whether they will go, for example, to science and https://123helpme.me/buy-compare-and-contrast-essay/ mathematics education. The last two years of school should give children the opportunity to focus on those subjects that they need to continue their education, rather than on 19 subjects in the same amount.

All over the world, in order for a person to be able to develop his individuality, he is given a choice. And in this curriculum, we have tried to give 40% of the hours to the school of choice, when the school forms profiles, and children, according to their profile, can study in depth the subjects they need. For example, when we talk about teaching natural sciences to the humanities, we suggest having more than one or one and a half hours of physics, chemistry and biology once a week, or every other week.

In this case, the whole world is following the path of an integrated course of natural sciences – physics, chemistry, biology. This step allows the child to form a holistic picture of the world. For example, when studying the topic of DNA, it means that there is knowledge in both biology and chemistry, and this knowledge can be integrated.

We have preserved the culture of individual subjects – physics, chemistry and biology, and we propose to introduce an integrated course in grades 10-11 only for the humanities. Instead, all schools will have the right to choose the above subjects in the profile course as separate disciplines, and study them for a much longer number of hours.

By the way, in most countries with the best educational systems, which have the best results in international comparative studies, in particular in PISA, where both mathematical literacy and science literacy are being tested, integrated courses have been introduced there.

Who should teach such an integrated course?

This course needs to be developed and he needs to get a textbook and a teacher who is able to read it. Therefore, during the transition period, this course will be divided between teachers and they will teach it together.

For us, such changes are a difficult task, now we are discussing the option of first conducting a pilot project to teach this course, and only then introduce it in schools across Ukraine.

I want to note that this draft curriculum is only a project that is under public discussion until January 30. We will get feedback from the academic community, from teachers, from parents, and only then will we make the final decision. In any case, we cannot hide our heads in the sand from the problems we have today.

And today we have a situation where a child studying in the humanities, as a result of such a circumcised, subject-based teaching of physics, chemistry and biology, for which very little time is allocated, has a fragmented natural picture of the world. Moreover, she is discouraged from studying these subjects.

Our task is to improve the quality of science and mathematics education. Therefore, we must make it such for the humanities that they have a quality core of knowledge in this area.

I am interested in the fact that we have created, in fact, such a community, which will include not only scientists from the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, but creative teachers, innovators, those who understand this problem. And I hope that by 2018, or even in the second half of 2017, we will present such a model course.

If we change everything on such a large scale in high school, then, accordingly, the specialists who will work in the new school must have a different level of training.

Today’s teacher qualification is the biggest challenge for us. We are currently working on the concept of a new teacher education, and this is very important, because we need to change approaches to teacher training. However, no less important is the quality motivation of teachers. This year we have taken an important step – to increase teachers’ salaries by 50%. In addition, we have also increased scholarships for future teachers, especially in science and mathematics, in order to bring the best applicants there. Is that enough? Of course, that is not enough, these are just the first steps.

Then we will face more serious challenges. In 2018, a new Ukrainian school will start operating from the 1st grade, for which we need to create a new State Standard, and teachers must learn new methods.

This means that in the time we have left before the start of the 2018-19 school year, we must pass through the in-service training system all teachers who will take the 1st grade of primary school in 2018. That is, it is necessary to develop this refresher course, work with regional institutes of postgraduate education, and only after that teachers will be able to study there.

The new Ukrainian school, as a political proposal, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. We are currently working on a detailed plan for implementing the concept of a new Ukrainian school. The detailed plan will be published approximately in late February – March. There are many challenges.

What do you think the teacher’s salary should be?

Our position is defined in the draft law “On Education”, which was voted by the Verkhovna Rada in the first reading: the salary of a teacher should be at the level of three minimum wages. With such a salary, the teacher immediately enters the middle class. The question is how it will be provided by the State budget. The fact that we raised the level of teachers’ salaries by two tariff levels was a rather difficult step. It is difficult to convince everyone why of all state employees the salary should be increased only for teachers. But everyone understands that the condition of the Ukrainian teacher has deteriorated so much that everyone agreed with our proposal.

A teacher in all developed countries is not in the upper middle class, but always in the middle class. And then, of course, it is a profession by which a person can provide a decent standard of living for his family.

Maybe it’s not just about the salary? In regions where young professionals could go, could they offer housing or some kind of social package?

Yes, this is a very difficult question. You say that to motivate rural teachers with housing … Today we have a problem in cities as well. Look, today we have a catastrophic shortage of teachers in Kyiv. And I do not see another recipe for solving this problem, in particular for the Kyiv authorities – as the construction of at least dormitories for teachers. Because people who are ready to work for such a salary can come to Kyiv. But then they need to have a place to live. Because they can’t pay for an apartment with this salary, let alone buy their own housing.

There is only one way – to increase salaries, as we have written in the law, as well as to build official housing for teachers. That is, during the work the teacher will know for sure that he will have guaranteed housing.

What about the announced voluntary certification of teachers several times? Who will develop these programs, how will this certification take place?

We have the so-called certification. Every five years it is attended by all teachers. She stays. But we need agents of change for reform. And such agents of change are, first of all, teachers.

No matter what you and I write in standards, no matter what open platforms or textbooks we make, if a teacher can’t master these techniques, the changes won’t affect children. Therefore, the idea is to motivate the best teachers who have these techniques and encourage them to share this experience with their colleagues.

Teachers who feel that they are ready for change and have mastered the necessary techniques must prove this in a voluntary certification. If they pass it, they will receive a bonus, but their additional function will be that they will have to share their experience with colleagues.

Certification is a provision of the new law “On Education”, which has not yet been adopted. Therefore, the issue of voluntary certification will arise only after its adoption. Those teachers who pass the voluntary external certification will receive a 20% increase in salary.

Is it possible to introduce the principle of “money for a child” in the school, as was done when entering universities, when more funding goes to the university that has chosen the most applicants who entered the budget?

We now distribute the education subvention by the number of children in schools. That is, local governments receive funds on this principle.