Will the education system slide back into old corrupt ways?

The new government could already this year change the rules for entering Ukrainian higher educational institutes. Students will again be accepted according to the results of exams, certificates and testing. Civic organizations are clear in their opposition.

The newly-appointed Deputy Prime Minister Volodymyr Semynozhenko has already promised changes in the education system. He says that he wants to improve the system of external assessment of school-leavers’ knowledge. In order to get into an institute, you will have to study well during the year, pass exams and also undergo testing. For entering an institute these results will be taken into consideration proportionally.

Mr Semynozhenko asserts that this approach will be objective and fair. This view is categorically not shared by the Co-Coordinator of the civic campaign “For an Educated Ukraine: Entry without Bribes!”, Stanislav Kutsenko. He believes that this would render ineffective the progressive reform seen in the independent external assessment (brought in over the last couple of years – translator).

“The value of testing will be diminished. It isn’t mandatory even now, however it decides a great deal since only people with a certificate of testing are admitted to institutes. If they cancel it, then exams will come back, and the old forms of corruption. Testing will turn into an additional paper which nobody needs”.

Mr Kutsenko is outraged by the intention of the new government to change the rules for entering higher institutes this year already since students will not be able to properly prepare. “All the tests have already been prepared. Registration is in full swing, and both parents and the school leavers have planned for a single package of requirements.”

The civic activists are ready to meet with the new government officials and discuss this situation with parliamentarians. Mr Kutsenko warns that if the government pays no heed, they are ready to take active measures of protest.