22 April 2011, 15:47
According to M. Tomenko, an extensive public and expert discussion showed that the majority condemns the unexpected introduction of knowledge testing made several months before the end of the academic year.
The Deputy Chairman stressed that when the money for the textbooks printed in Kharkiv publishing house on the order of the Ministry was almost collected, the Ministry of Education declared that the test would be a usual one, not a final certification. Moreover, according to the ministerial officials, teachers who have no test books will receive them for free. "It might be concluded that either the Ministry of Education disrespects the pupils, their parents and teachers or merely disguises the information lest the President or law enforcement bodies should be interested in this case", admitted the politician.
According to M. Tomenko, the situation implies that the Ministry is interested neither in assessment of pupils´ knowledge nor in the reforms of the secondary education, but in the financial-corruptive fraud aimed at obligatory distribution of extra textbooks among the thousands of pupils of Ukraine. He stressed that the matter concerns several million hryvnias at the expense of parents of 5-8 graders.
The Deputy Chairman had not received any response to his request to investigate the situation yet.