The Sandspur

Issue date: 11/4/05 Section: Holt News

Media Credit: Courtesy of Oksana Baker

Being a student for many years now, I cannot help but compare the education of United Stated and Ukraine. I started my education when Ukraine was part of the USSR-now Soviet Union. I went through five years of pre-school followed by eight years of formal schooling, that is, the equivalent of elementary, middle, and high school in United States.

Then, I enrolled into cultural school, a vocational school and earned my degree in library research. After three years of vocational school I passed the entrance exams to Sumy Pedagogical University where I studied foreign language. Now, I am a student of Hamilton Holt School at Rollins College and I think it would be interesting for other students to learn about education in other countries, especially in Ukraine.

The education in Ukraine starts with a four-year pre-school education or kindergarten. Then, a 10 to 12 year term of compulsory secondary education takes a student all the way through high school. Finally, a four to five-year term of undergraduate studies pave the way to graduate studies. By the age of 15-16, Ukrainian students graduate high school and go to, technical colleges, vocational schools, or undergraduate studies.

Ukrainian schools have a 12-year term of study. However, a student has the option of completing a 10-year term and goes to vocational school or technical college. The financial situation in Ukraine forces students to graduate high school by the age of 16 and go to technical colleges or vocational schools to acquire professional skills. Students who excel in high school continue their education through undergraduate studies.

Undergraduate studies are offered by universities and academies. They are state owned institutions with the exception of a few private ones. The good thing is that the state owned institutions are free of charge to students. However, prospective students must be a Ukrainian citizen with outstanding academic records in order to get the free education.

The admission to colleges, universities, and academies is very competitive. The entrance exams comprise of written and verbal questionings. There are no multiple choices. A prospective student has an option to answer everything he or she knows about the question asked, and an instructor decides whether a question was fully answered.

Generally, there are three questions and a student is given fifteen to twenty minutes to answer them. A prospective student can get a list of topics or questions (study guide) prior to the entrance exams. Students who do not meet the requirement and those who fail the entrance exams can still enroll to state or private institutions and pay for their education.

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