Hanna Sopkova, Depchief of Education and Science Department of Regional State Administration

Today it is incumbent upon all teachers to be aware of the changes outlined by the Presidents’ Committee for Economic Reforms, effective 2010-2014, for the program “Prosperous Society, Competitive Economy, Effective State”. Funding needs for regional education are estimated at 1,632,000 UAH. Presently 10 regional educational programs are established in Transcarpathia.

In accordance with the Transcarpathian Education Development Program for 2003-2012, the plan is to purchase school furniture, sports equipment, and computer curriculum for 46 schools. In 2010 the purchase of 7 Physics, 5 Chemistry, 6 Mathematics and 5 Biology laboratories is scheduled.

For the School Bus Regional Program, 97 buses were purchased for rural schools, and 12 buses will be purchased for the upcoming year. Construction of schools is in progress. During 2002-2009, 43 educational establishments for 8220 pupils were opened.

In the Transcarpathian region, there are 118 educational institutions. These are attended by 20,552 students, who receive education in the following languages: 66 of schools – in Hungarian, 12 – in Romanian, 2 – in Russian. In 38 schools the studies are conducted in two or more languages. Traditionally, every year the Management of education and Science rewards the prizewinners and their teachers, from the 4th round of All-Ukrainian Olympiads.

In 2008 the Avhustyn Voloshyn Regional Prize in Pedagogics was founded for the encouragement of teachers in creative work and for the increase of awareness and prestige of the teaching profession. Professional training of personnel is carried out on the government order in 18 state vocational schools with enrollment of 8965 of students. Training of specialists with higher education is carried out in 6 higher educational establishments of III – IV levels of accreditation, and also in 14 HEE of I-II levels of accreditation.

Source: Magazine “Transcarpathia” № 2 summer/autumn 2010