The Ukrainian education system has been operating in conditions of full-scale war for the fourth year. Despite the difficulties, the Ukrainian school tries not only to maintain its functioning, but also to adapt to the realities of the time, looking for new forms of work. One of the most high-profile initiatives in recent weeks has been a proposal to introduce external independent assessment after the ninth grade. This may mean a deep restructuring not only of the structure of secondary education, but also of the entire logic of professional self-determination of Ukrainian teenagers.
The idea of introducing external examinations after the 9th grade
According to the parliament, the introduction of external independent assessment after the ninth grade can be a revolutionary step in the Ukrainian education system. Such an initiative will allow students to decide on their professional future much earlier and assess their own abilities for scientific or intellectual activity. By in words Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Education, Science and Innovation, Serhiy Koleboshyn, this mechanism will help young people avoid wasting time on higher education, which may turn out to be unnecessary in the future.
Serhii Koleboshyn, who initiated draft laws No. 13120 and No. 13120-1, which contain significant changes regarding the formation of academic lyceums and the organization of the educational process in them. The People’s Deputy is convinced that the introduction of early testing will help relieve the burden on the high school and will automatically screen out some of the potential applicants.
In his opinion, there is a disproportionately large number of higher education institutions in Ukraine compared to the real needs of the labor market. Even more problematic is the number of young people seeking higher education without a clear understanding of their professional future. Koleboshin emphasizes that early testing will become a powerful tool not only for the state, but also for schoolchildren themselves.
“It would be great if we did an external examination at the end of the 9th grade. It is also a very helpful tool for the child to decide on the future. And for the state, it is a very powerful tool that shows what the situation really is.” – notes the parliamentarian.
Quality of education and professional self-determination
The parliament believes that the problem of the quality of higher education in Ukraine is quite acute. A significant number of universities do not provide the appropriate level of training of specialists due to a number of reasons: insufficient level of teaching, inability of many students to learn complex material or simply lack of motivation to study.
Paradoxical is the situation when diplomas of higher education “settle in drawers”, and their owners work in fields that are completely unrelated to the specialty they received. In fact, a young person spends five years of his life getting an education that will not be used for its intended purpose. The introduction of external examinations after the ninth grade will create a natural filter, thanks to which only those students who really have the inclination and abilities to further study in universities will enter academic lyceums. This approach will make it possible to form a higher-quality contingent of students of higher educational institutions and increase the level of their training.
The proposed system does not provide for “closing the door” to higher education for those who have not passed the appropriate testing after the ninth grade. On the contrary, it is designed to help young people find their vocation faster and choose the optimal path of professional development. Graduates who do not plan to continue their studies in academic lyceums will be able to receive professional education much earlier. This will allow them not to spend additional years on obtaining an unnecessary diploma and to more quickly integrate into the labor market in the chosen specialty.
Vocational and technical education can become an equally prestigious alternative to classical higher education, especially given the growing demand for skilled workers in many sectors of the economy. Graduates of professional institutions often have better employment prospects and financial stability than holders of higher education diplomas in oversaturated labor market specialties.
Serhii Koleboshin emphasizes the need to rethink approaches to the education system in Ukraine, stressing that the introduction of external examinations after the ninth grade will allow not just to weed out “weak” students, but to help them find their true professional path.
We will remind, in many European countries, in particular in Germany and Austria, there is also an early career orientation of students. After finishing basic school (at the age of 15–16), young people choose between academic studies and vocational training. Statistics show that about 50% of German schoolchildren choose vocational education, which includes both practical training at enterprises and theoretical training in specialized institutions.
