A Round Table on the subject, ‘Outcome of External Independent Knowledge Testing of Graduates of General Education Schools in Ukraine in 2007, The State of Readiness and Holding of External Independent Testing in the current Year´, was held within the preparation for a Committee Meeting, with an Agenda listing the issues of implementation of the Laws of Ukraine ‘On Education´ and ‘On General Secondary Education´, as regards control adherence to State Standards on General Secondary Education.
Present were Committee Members, Delegates from The Ministry of Education and Science, and The Ukrainian Centre for Quality Testing of Education, Rectors of the leading Educational Institutions, and Leaders of Civic Organisations.
Volodymyr Polokhalo, Committee Chairman, said that over 116,000 pupils were involved in the External Independent Testing in 2007. This testing is regulated by The Edict of The President of Ukraine No. 1013/2005, ‘On Urgent Steps to Provide for the Functioning and Development of Education in Ukraine´, and Regulations issued by The Cabinet of Ministers and The Ministry of Education and Science. Since this process has not been regulated at a Legislative level, urgent amendments are needed to the Laws ‘On Education´, ‘On General Secondary Education´ and ‘On Higher Education´. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has until 1 June 2008 to draft and introduce to The Verkhovna Rada a revised version of the Law ‘On Higher Education´.
Among the problems mentioned by those present were the insufficient scientific support of preparation beforehand of Test Papers, absent methodology for the compiling of Tests, absence of specially trained experts, and the need to introduce monitoring of Test Results.
An Information Storage System must be introduced, and liability for publicizing the contents of Test Assignments must be fixed in the legislation.
Concern was expressed over ‘the moral unreadiness of pupils for testing, uncertainty on the part of teachers concerning the introduction of this new Knowledge Testing system, due to lack of special training and methodological documents, the Regional aspects of this matter, and in particular the appropriate organisation of testing of pupils living in rural and mountainous areas. Special importance was attached to the provision of computers in village schools with Internet access.
Admission Departments are facing problems related to multiple entrance advantages, the impossibility of taking account of Subject Olympiad results, and the quotas required for village school graduates, etc.
Among other problems to be tackled are Education through Correspondence Courses, Admission to Higher Educational Institutions by previous years´ graduates, early Careers Guidance and quotas for vocational school and college graduates.
Speaking of Manuals, Ivan Vakarchuk, Minister for Education and Science, stressed that all Manuals ‘must meet the National Concept of State Development´.
Among important issues to be resolved during the introduction of high quality External Testing, are named awareness of target groups of the public on the Test Dates, Terms and Provisions for taking part in them, and the basic requirements for those undergoing testing.