Philippines and Ukraine Education Curriculum
- Janlyn Francisco
- Aug 10, 2021
- 31 min read
Updated: Oct 11, 2021
The term curriculum refers to the lessons and academic content taught in a school or in a specific course or program. It typically refers to the knowledge and skills students are expected to learn, which includes the learning standards or learning objectives they are expected to meet; the units and lessons that teachers teach; the assignments and projects given to students; the books, materials, videos, presentations, and readings used in a course; and the tests, assessments, and other methods used to evaluate student learning. An individual teacher’s curriculum, for example, would be the specific learning standards, lessons, assignments, and materials used to organize and teach a particular course.
Every nation set curriculum which believed would be great to attain efficient learning that responds to the local needs. Planning a well define curriculum will improve the quality of education that is advantage locally and even internationally in a way that every student can contribute a positive effect to the nation by showing their skills—specifically 21st century skills they have learned in schools and be ready for employment, career and life. Having the career, you choose would mean you are able to stand by your own and make progress in life, therefore in that simple way you helped your community by lessening the indigent group which are responsible by the government and latter then will easily move as a nation and always ready to interact with other countries.
Since every nation have different curriculum, let us talk about the Philippines and Ukraine. What are their similarities or even differences in implementing education to be a better nation that a citizen would love to stay and be proud of? But first let us introduce each country.
The education system of the Philippines
Has been highly influenced by the country’s colonial history. That history has included periods of Spanish, American and Japanese rule and occupation. The most important and lasting contributions came during America’s occupation of the country, which began in 1898. It was during that period that English was introduced as the primary language of instruction and a system of public education was first established—a system modeled after the United States school system and administered by the newly established Department of Instruction.
The United States left a lasting impression on the Philippine school system. Several colleges and universities were founded with the goal of educating the nation’s teachers. In 1908, the University of the Philippines was chartered, representing the first comprehensive public university in the nation’s history.
Like the United States, the Philippine nation has an extensive and highly inclusive system of education, including higher education. In the present day, the United States continues to influence the Philippines education system, as many of the country’s teachers and professors have earned advanced degrees from United States universities.
Although the Philippine system of education has long served as a model for other Southeast Asian countries, in recent years that system has deteriorated. This is especially true in the more remote and poverty-stricken regions of the country. While Manila, the capital and largest city in the Philippines, boasts a primary school completion rate of nearly 100 percent, other areas of the country, including Mindanao and Eastern Visayas, have a primary school completion rate of only 30 percent or less. Not surprisingly, students who hail from Philippine urban areas tend to score much higher in subjects such as mathematics and science than students in the more rural areas of the country.
Education in Ukraine
Ukraine’s education system, like that of the other post-Soviet countries, has been shaped by more than 70 years of Soviet rule. However, Ukraine has enacted numerous reforms since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, including the introduction of private education. In 2005, Ukraine signed on to the European Bologna reforms. Whereas the standard university degree under the old Soviet system was a long single-cycle degree, the Bologna two-cycle structure has now been implemented across the board, except in professional disciplines like medicine and veterinary medicine. The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, grading scale, and other aspects of the Bologna reforms have been adopted as well.
Administration of the Education System
Language of Instruction
Academic Calendar
Philippines
Education in the Philippines is administered by three different government agencies, each exercising largely exclusive jurisdiction over various aspects of the education system.
The Department of Education oversees all aspects of elementary, secondary and informal education. It supervises all elementary and secondary schools, both public and private. The Department is divided into two components: the central office in Manila and various field offices, of which there are currently 17 regional offices and 221 provincial and city schools divisions. The central office sets overall policies for the basic education sector, while the field offices implement policies at the local level. The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has its own department of education, but for the most part follows national guidelines and uses the national school curriculum.
The Department of Education also has a number of agencies supervising programs that fall outside the country’s formal education system. The Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS), for instance, oversees education programs designed for “out-of-school children, youth and adults who need basic and functional literacy skills, knowledge and values.” Two of its major programs are the Basic Literacy Program (BLP), which aims to eliminate illiteracy among out-of-school children and adults, as well as the “Continuing Education: Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Program”, which helps school dropouts to complete basic education outside the formal education system.
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the Philippines is supervised by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). TESDA oversees TVET providers, both public and private, and acts as a regulatory body, setting training standards, curricula and testing requirements for vocational programs.
The main authority in tertiary education is the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Directly attached to the Office of the President, CHED has far-reaching responsibilities. It develops and implements higher education policies and provides quality assurance through its oversight of post-secondary programs and institutions, both public and private. CHED sets minimum standards for academic programs and the establishment of new HEIs. It also suggests funding levels for public HEIs and determines how HEIs can use these funds.
In Philippines, the learner’s first language should be the primary medium of instruction at least until grade three. In the secondary education, Filipino and English are primary medium of instruction
August- April
Ukraine
Ukraine has a centralized education system overseen by the Ministry of Education and Science (MOES) in Kyiv. The State Inspectorate of Educational Institutions of Ukraine, under the auspices of the MOES, is responsible for matters like quality assurance, curriculum development, teaching methodology, examinations in the school system, and vocational education; whereas the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (NAQAHE) is the designated regulatory authority in tertiary education. Originally established by law in 2014, the NAQAHE is a new organization that did not start to fully operate until 2019. Meant to revamp quality assurance in higher education, it consists of representatives from the MOES, European organizations, student associations, and academic institutions. It is responsible for the accreditation of universities and academic programs, the approval of dissertation committees, and other matters related to academic quality.
Given the inter-ethnic conflicts in Ukraine and the fact that sizable parts of the Ukrainian population speak Russian or other minority languages like Romanian or Hungarian as their native tongue, language policies in education are a highly controversial, politically charged issue in Ukraine. Recent legislation from 2017 strengthened the status of Ukrainian as the country’s main language by reducing the role of minority languages in secondary education, making Ukrainian the mandatory official language in government, and imposing minimum quotas for the use of the Ukrainian language in TV, film, and print publications. While the law guarantees the right of all Ukrainian citizens to choose their language of instruction in preschool and elementary education—as long as they also study enough Ukrainian to successfully integrate into Ukrainian society—it mandates that education from the fifth grade onward be taught exclusively in Ukrainian, except for designated “special lessons.”
In higher education, Ukrainian is the most common language of instruction. However, Russian was the academic language during the Soviet era, and Russian-taught programs also exist. English-medium higher education is becoming increasingly popular, particularly in programs geared toward international students, but it is still nascent compared with how common it is in other European countries.
September- June
Education Structure
Philippines
Ukraine
Education in the Philippines is offered through formal and non-formal systems. Formal education typically spans 14 years and is structured in a 6+4+4 system: 6 years of primary school education, 4 years of secondary school education, and 4 years of higher education, leading to a bachelor’s degree. This is one of the shortest terms of formal education in the world. Schooling is compulsory for 6 years, beginning at age 7 and culminating at age 12. These 6 years represent a child’s primary school education.
Since 2018, Ukrainian school education has been extended from 11 to 12 years. It now includes four years of elementary education, five years of middle school education, and three years of upper secondary (specialized) education.
Education in the Philippines:
Primary Education
Elementary education in the Philippines consists of six years of schooling, covering grades 1 to 6 (ages 6 to 12). Before the adoption of the K-12 reforms, elementary education was the only compulsory part of the basic education cycle. With the reforms, however, compulsory education has been extended and is now mandatory for all years of schooling, inclusive of grade 12.
It is now also mandatory that children complete one-year of pre-school Kindergarten education before enrolling in elementary school. While it appears that this is not yet consistent practice throughout the entire country, current legislation mandates that all children enroll in Kindergarten at the age of five. Kindergarten education, like all other parts of public schooling, is free of charge at public schools. Upon completion of the mandatory pre-school year, pupils are eligible to attend elementary school – there are no separate admission requirements.
The elementary school curriculum was recently revised and includes standard subjects like Filipino, English, mathematics, science, social science, Philippine history and culture, physical education and arts. One notable and important change, however, is that minority languages (“mother tongues”) are now being used as the language of instruction in the first years of elementary education in areas where these languages are the lingua franca. There are currently 19 recognized minority languages in use. English and Filipino are introduced as languages of instruction from grades 4 to 6, in preparation for their exclusive use in junior and senior secondary high school.
Secondary Education
Pre-reform: Prior to the 2016/17 school year, when the first cohort entered grade 11 of the new senior secondary cycle, basic education ended after four years of secondary education (grades 7 to 10). Although freely available in public schools to all interested students, these four final years of basic education were not compulsory. Graduating students were awarded a Certificate of Graduation at the end of grade 10, and would progress either to higher education, TVET, or employment.
Post-reform: With the enactment of the K-12 reforms, secondary education was extended from four to six years and divided into two levels: four years of Junior High School (JHS) and two years of Senior High School (SHS), giving the basic education cycle a structure of K+6+4+2. All six years of secondary education are compulsory and free of charge at public schools. Since the construction of public senior high schools and classrooms still lags behind the need created by the K-12 reforms, however, a new voucher system was put in place to subsidize SHS study at private schools. That said, the voucher amount is capped and does not fully cover tuition at most private schools, keeping this option out of reach for socially highly disadvantaged families.
Private Schools
The size of the private sector in the Philippine school system is considerable. The government already decades before the K-12 reforms started to promote public-private partnerships in education. In these partnerships, the government sponsors study at low-cost private schools with tuition waivers and subsidies for teacher salaries in an attempt to “decongest” the overburdened public system. The Philippine “Educational Service Contracting” program (ESC) is, in fact, one of the largest such systems in the world. It provides the state with a way to provide education at a lower cost than in public schools, with parents picking up the rest of the tab – a fact that has caused critics to charge that the government is neglecting its obligation to provide free universal basic education.
Private high schools in the Philippines teach the national curriculum, must be officially approved and abide by regulations set forth by the Department of Education. In 2014, 18 percent of secondary students, or 1.3 million students, were enrolled in private schools. Fully 5,130 out of 12,878 secondary schools in the Philippines in 2012/13 (about 40 percent) were privately owned. The number of ESC tuition grantees increased by 40 percent between 1996 and 2012 and accounted for almost 60 percent of all private high school students in 2014, reflecting that publicly subsidized private education is a growing trend with increasing numbers of low-cost private schools now entering the Philippine market in the wake of the K-12 reforms.
Junior High School (JHS)
JHS comprises grades 7 to 10 (ages 12 to 16). Students who complete elementary education at grade 6 automatically progress to JHS – there are no separate entry requirements at both the junior and senior secondary levels, although private schools may require passing of an entrance examination. The JHS core curriculum includes the same subjects as the elementary curriculum, with English and Filipino being used as the language of instruction, depending on the subject.
Pupils are assessed based on written assignments, performance tasks and quarterly assessments (based on tests and/or performance tasks). The minimum passing grade for both single subjects and the cumulative year-end average required for promotion is the grade of 75 (out of 100). Students with lower grades must take remedial classes and improve their grades in order to progress to the next grade. There are no final graduation examinations at both the junior and senior secondary levels.
Pupils interested in pursuing TVET may simultaneously start to explore Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) subjects in grades 7 and 8, and have the option to start studying these subjects more extensively in grades 9 and 10. Those that complete a sufficient number of hours in TLE subjects and pass TESDA assessments may be awarded a TESDA Certificate of Competency or a National Certificate (see TVET section below).
Senior High School (SHS)
SHS consists of two years of specialized upper secondary education (grades 11 and 12, ages 16 to 18). Students are streamed into academic specialization tracks with distinct curricula. Before enrolling, students choose a specialization track, being restricted in their choice only by the availability of that specialization at the school the y plan to attend. The four tracks are:
Academic Track
Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) Track
Sports Track
Arts and Design Track
Students in all tracks study a core curriculum of 15 required subjects from seven learning areas, which include: languages, literature, communication, mathematics, philosophy, natural sciences, and social sciences. The grading scale and methods of assessment used in SHS are the same as in JHS, but with a stronger emphasis on performance tasks. Upon completion of grade 12, students are awarded a high school diploma.
The Academic Track is designed to prepare students for tertiary education. It is further divided into four strands: general academic; accountancy, business and management (ABM); humanities and social sciences (HUMSS); and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The TVL Track is intended for students looking to enter the labor force or pursue further TVET after graduation. It is also divided into four strands: home economics; agriculture/fishery; industrial arts; and information and communications technology (ICT). Graduates that pass the relevant TESDA assessment tests are simultaneously eligible for the award of a TESDA National Certificate I or II (see TVET section below).
The Sports and Arts and Design Tracks are intended to impart “middle-level technical skills” for careers in sports-related fields and creative industries. Enrollments in these two tracks will be comparatively small, however. While the Department of Education expected an estimated 609,000 students to enroll in the academic track, and another 596,000 students to enroll in the TVL track in 2016, only 20,000 students were anticipated to opt for the sports or arts and design tracks.
Overall, it is expected that the new overhauled K-12 curriculum will lead to greatly improved educational outcomes, since it helps “decongest” the highly condensed prior 10-year curriculum. Filipino educators have blamed the old compressed curriculum, at least in part, for the high dropout rates and lack-luster test scores in recent years, since it did not afford students the time necessary to absorb and learn all the material presented to them.
TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (TVET)
TVET in the Philippines is designed to train the Philippine labor force and prepare graduates for medium- skilled employment in various vocations, ranging from agriculture to automotive technology, bookkeeping, business services, computer maintenance, information technology, health services, cookery, tourism and hospitality services, carpentry, seafaring, housekeeping, web design or teaching ESL. There were more than 2,000 different training programs on offer in 2015.
While the TVET sector is smaller in terms of total enrollments and remains less popular than the tertiary sector, it nevertheless has expanded rapidly over the past years. Between 2000 and 2016, the number of students enrolled in TVET programs increased by 295 percent, from 574,017 students to 2.27 million students. Graduation rates in TVET programs have improved greatly in recent years and grew from 83 percent in 2010 to 95 percent in 2016.
Structure
The PQF specifies five levels of TVET qualifications. The National Certificate (NC) I and NC II are placed at the secondary level and are designed to impart practical skills in a “limited range of highly familiar and predictable contexts”. These certificates can be earned by secondary school students at the end of grade 10 or grade 12.
The NC III, NC IV and Diploma are post-secondary qualifications at levels 3 to 5 of the PQF. Programs leading to these types of qualifications generally require prior NCs or a high school diploma for admission and involve training at progressive levels of complexity with a greater theoretical focus, designed to train skilled workers in more supervisory functions. NC programs are usually more applied in nature, whereas diploma programs tend to be more theoretically oriented and often offered at universities.
At the NC level, TVET is competency-based, which means that programs are typically not studied or quantified in a concrete number of semesters or years of study. Instead, training programs are often modularized and self-paced – a fact that allows students who are already employed to pursue TVET without having to adhere to a strict schedule of classes. To earn a qualification, students must acquire a set number of “units of competency”, formally certified in Certificates of Competency (COCs). COCs may be awarded upon completion of a set number of hours of instruction, or demonstrated mastery of certain practical competencies. Assessment may involve oral exams, written tests, employer assessment, portfolio or work projects.
It is important to note that NCs and COCs are only valid for a period of five years. After five years, holders of these qualifications must apply for the renewal of their certification and re-registration in a TESDA-maintained Registry of Certified Workers. If TESDA has established new competency standards since the original qualification was issued, applicants must undergo another competency assessment based on the new competency standards.
TVET Institutions and Modes of Delivery
There are three main modes of TVET delivery in the Philippines: institution-based (at schools and centers), enterprise-based (at companies), and community-based (at local government and community organizations).
Institution-based programs are offered by TESDA-administered schools and training centers, as well as by authorized private schools. Some higher education institutions also offer TESDA-approved programs. About half of all TVET students studied in institution-based programs in 2016. TESDA presently directly maintains 57 schools, including 19 agricultural schools, 7 fishery schools and 31 trade schools, as well as 60 regional training centers catering to regional needs. Most TVET schools, however, are privately-owned. About 90 percent of all TVET providers were private as of 2013, even though public institutions continue to enroll greater numbers of students: In 2016, 54.3 percent of TVET students were enrolled in public schools, compared to 45.7 percent in private institutions.
Enterprise-based programs are typically pursued by trainees who are employed or are training for employment at a company. These practice-oriented programs include apprenticeship programs, so-called “learnership” programs, and dual training programs, a training model adopted from Germany which combines training at a workplace with theoretical instruction at a school. Most of these programs are based on a contract between the trainee and the company and are as of now not very common – only slightly more than 3 percent of TVET students were training in enterprise-based programs in 2016. Apprenticeship programs are usually between four and six months in length, whereas learnership programs are simply shorter apprenticeship programs lasting up to three months. Programs in the Dual Training System (DTS), meanwhile, last up to two years, during which trainees acquire practical job skills augmented by part-time study at a school.
TERTIARY EDUCATION
Higher Education Institutions
The number of HEIs in the Philippines has grown rapidly over the past decades. Between 2007 and 2016/17 alone, the number of HEIs increased from 1,776 to 1,943. That makes the Philippines the country with the highest number of HEIs in Southeast Asia. For example, the Philippines has more than four times as many HEIs than Vietnam (445 in 2015), a country with a similar-size population.
Types of HEIs
There are three types of public tertiary education institutions in the Philippines as classified by CHED:
State universities and colleges or SUCs are defined as public institutions “with independent governing boards and individual charters established by and financed and maintained by the national government“. In order to be classified as a university (as opposed to a college), institutions need to offer graduate programs in addition to a minimum number of bachelor programs in a range of disciplines. There are presently 112 SUCs in the Philippines.
Local colleges and universities are public institutions established and funded by local government units. There are presently 107 local universities and colleges.
Other government schools form a category that comprises specialized HEIs that provide training related to public services, such as the Philippine National Police Academy or the Philippine Military Academy, for example. There are presently 14 of these institutions.
Private HEIs
The vast majority – 88 percent – of HEIs in the Philippines, however, are privately owned. There were 1,710 private HEIs in operation in the 2016/17 academic year, which include both religiously affiliated institutions (mostly Catholic schools) and non-sectarian institutions. Most of these institutions offer the same type of tertiary education programs as public institutions and are overseen by CHED. A “Manual of Regulations for Private Higher Education” details specific guidelines for private providers.
Many private HEIs in the Philippines are “demand-absorbing” institutions that fill a gap in supply created by the massification of education in the Philippines. Amidst limited capacities and low funding levels in the Philippine higher education system, these institutions offer those students who cannot get admitted into competitive public institutions access to tertiary education. It should be noted, however, that with the exception of top Catholic universities like Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University or the University of Santo Tomas, a majority of these institutions are smaller for-profit providers that enroll fewer than 1,000 students. The quality of education at many of these profit-driven institutions tends to be below the standards of prestigious public HEIs.
Enrollment levels at public institutions therefore remain substantial, considering the large number of private HEIs. While the share of private sector enrollments in the Philippines is high by international standards, 45.8 percent of the country’s 3.5 million tertiary students were enrolled in public institutions in the 2016/17 academic year. Just over 39 percent of students studied at state universities and colleges, 6.2 percent at local universities and colleges, and a small minority of 0.17 percent at other government schools. The largest university in the Philippines is presently the public Polytechnic University of the Philippines, which maintains branch campuses throughout the country.
Quality Assurance and Accreditation
The Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has far-reaching authority over HEIs, including private institutions. It can authorize the establishment or closure of private HEIs, as well as determine their tuition fees and degree programs. Private HEIs are required to seek permission for their degree programs and to graduate students from these programs. Private institutions that have received this permission are authorized to display a “Special Order Number” (SON) on their academic records. The SON pertains to a specific credential awarded on a certain date and needs to be requested on a continual basis for batches of graduates.
However, CHED can exempt HEIs from the requirement to request SONs by declaring them “autonomous” or “deregulated” institutions – a designation that is granted for five-year periods and reserved for reputable high quality institutions. Autonomous institutions have the freedom to establish new degree programs and design their own curricula, whereas deregulated institutions still need to request permission for new degree programs, but are exempt from the special order requirements. CHED publishes lists of autonomous and deregulated universities on its website.
There is also a separate and voluntary accreditation process in the Philippines that allows HEIs to apply for accreditation of their programs by private accrediting bodies, such as the “Philippines Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities” or the “Philippines Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation”. Accreditation is mostly program-based and encouraged by CHED. The Commission incentivizes HEIs to seek accreditation by granting institutions with accredited programs a number of self-regulatory powers, such as financial and administrative autonomy, up to freedom to independently establish new graduate programs. There are four levels of accreditation as set forth by CHED:
Level I: Programs have undergone initial review and are accredited for three years.
Level II: Programs have been re-accredited for three to five years, depending on the assessment of the accrediting body. This exempts institutions from applying for the SON, and allows them to redesign the curricula (within limits) and use the word “accredited” on publications.
Level III: Programs have been re-accredited and fulfill a number of additional criteria, such as a strong research focus and high pass rates of graduates in licensing exams. This level gives HEIs the right to independently establish new programs associated with already existing level III programs.
Level IV: Programs are considered to be of outstanding quality and prestige, as demonstrated by criteria like publications in research journals and international reputation. HEIs have full autonomy in running their accredited level IV programs and have the right to establish new graduate programs associated with existing level IV programs.
Given that accreditation is not a mandatory requirement, however, only a minority of HEI’s in the Philippines presently seek accreditation of their programs. In the 2016/17 academic year, there were 671 higher education institutions with accredited programs in the Philippines (about 28 percent of all institutions). CHED provides an easy-to-navigate directory of all the recognized higher education programs in the Philippines, organized by institution and region.
International University Rankings
Compared to other Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia or Indonesia, the Philippines is currently not very well-represented in international university rankings. Only one Philippine university was among the 359 universities included in the 2018 Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings, while ten Thai universities, nine Malaysian universities and four Indonesian universities were included in the ranking. The University of the Philippines, arguably the most prestigious university in the Philippines, is currently ranked at position 601-800 out of 1,102 institutions in the THE world ranking. Four Philippine universities are included in the current QS World University Rankings. These are: the University of the Philippines (367), Ateneo de Manila University (551-600), De La Salle University (701-750) and the University of Santo Tomas (801-1000). No Philippine universities are included in the current 2017 Shanghai ranking.
University Admissions
Admission into university in the Philippines generally requires the high school diploma. Going forward this means the new K-12 diploma. CHED has announced that beginning in the 2018/19 academic year, holders of the old 10-year high school diploma are expected to complete bridging courses before enrolling in undergraduate programs. In addition, more selective institutions have further requirements such as certain minimum GPA requirements, adequate scores in the National Achievement Test (NAT) or institution-specific entrance examinations. There is no nation-wide university entrance exam as found in other Asian countries.
Degree Structure
Given the impact the U.S. had on the development of the modern Philippine education system, it is not surprising that tertiary benchmark credentials in the Philippines closely resemble the U.S. system. Higher education institutions also follow a two semester system like in the U.S., however the academic year runs from June until March.
Associate Degree
Even though the Associate degree is not included in the Philippine Qualifications Framework, it is still awarded by several institutions in the Philippines. Associate programs are typically two years in length, although some older programs used to be three years in length. Associate programs often have a more vocationally-oriented focus, but also include a general education component and may be transferred into bachelor’s programs. Some institutions offer associate degrees as part of a laddered 2+2 system leading to a bachelor’s degree.
Bachelor’s Degree
Bachelor’s degree programs in standard academic disciplines are four years in length (a minimum of 124 credits, but most typically between 144-180 credits). The credentials awarded most frequently are the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Arts. Bachelor’s programs in professional disciplines like engineering or architecture, on the other hand, are typically five years in length and have higher credit requirements. Programs include a sizeable general education core curriculum in addition to specialized subjects. Until recently, general education courses were typically completed in the first half of the program, while major- specific courses were mostly taken in higher semesters. The K-12 reforms, however, will lead to changes in curricula and likely reduce the general education component in bachelor’s programs.
Master’s Degree
Master’s programs require a bachelor’s degree for admission. Programs are typically two years in length (a minimum of 30 credits, but credit requirements vary from institution to institution). Depending on the discipline, master’s programs may include a thesis or be offered as non-thesis programs, with non-thesis programs usually requiring a higher number of credits and passing of a comprehensive examination.
Doctoral Degree
The doctoral degree is the highest degree in the Philippine education system. Doctoral programs require a master’s degree for admission and typically involve coursework and a dissertation, although some pure research programs without coursework also exist. The most commonly awarded credential is the Doctor of Philosophy. In addition, there are professional doctorates, such the Doctor Technology or the Doctor of Education. Most programs have a minimum length of three years, but students often take much longer to complete the program.
Professional Education
Professional degree programs in disciplines like medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or law are either post- graduate programs that require a bachelor’s degree for admission or long six-year first degree programs that involve two years of foundation studies after high school. While there are some variations in the programs offered, the general structure is as follows.
Law programs require a bachelor’s degree for admission, are usually four years in length, and conclude with the award of the Juris Doctor. Medical programs lead to the award of the Doctor of Medicine and require four years of study after the bachelor’s degree, including two years of clinical study. Graduate medical education in medical specialties involves a further three to six years of residency training after licensure.
Programs in dental and veterinary medicine, on the other hand, usually do not require a bachelor’s degree for admission. Instead, students are required to complete a two-year preliminary foundation program with a sizeable general education component before commencing professional studies. Students graduate with the Doctor of Dental Medicine or the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine after a total of six years of study.
In order to practice, graduates from professional programs must pass licensing examinations, the standards of which are set forth by a national Professional Regulation Commission. This Commission regulates most professions and oversees more than 40 Professional Regulatory Boards that conduct the relevant licensing exams. Lawyers have to pass bar exams administered by a Bar Examination Committee under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
Teacher Education
The standard teaching credential in the Philippines is a four-year bachelor’s degree. Elementary school teachers earn a Bachelor of Elementary Education, whereas secondary school teachers earn a Bachelor of Secondary Education, with curricula being tailored to the respective level of education. Curricula are set by CHED and consist of general education subjects, education-related subjects, specialization subjects and practice teaching. Holders of bachelor’s degrees in other fields can earn a teacher qualification by completing a post-graduate program in education. These programs are between one semester and one year in length and lead to a credential most commonly referred to as the Certificate of Professional Education.
Grading Scales
There is no standard grading scale at the tertiary level that all institutions follow. It is more common for HEIs to use their own unique grading scales and include a legend or description of the scale on their academic transcripts. However, there are a few scales which are more common than others. The most common one is the 1-5 scale, with 1 being the highest grade. Also commonly used is a 0-100 scale with a minimum passing grade of 75.
Credit System
The credit system, on the other hand, is fairly standardized. One credit unit usually represents at least 16 semester-hours of classroom instruction and most classes require three hours of in-class study per week. In a typical three-credit course, students, thus, attend classes for 48 hours per semester. In non-lecture based classes, such as labs or other practical courses, one credit is usually equivalent to 32 semester hours.
Education in the Ukraine
Elementary Education
Since 2018, Ukrainian school education has been extended from 11 to 12 years. It now includes four years of elementary education, five years of middle school education, and three years of upper secondary (specialized) education. The changes will be implemented in the three levels in 2018, 2022, and 2027, respectively, beginning with the elementary stage. Education is provided free of charge at public schools, and is compulsory through grade 12 under the new system. However, pupils who started studying under the old system can still leave school after 11 years.
Elementary education starts at the age of six and is four years in length. The cycle is further subdivided into two phases: A basic phase 1 (grades one and two) that focuses on adaptation to school through play, while phase 2 (grades three and four) focuses on developing responsibility and independence. Children are admitted to school based on their place of residence. Each school serves a specific geographic area and guarantees seats for all school-age children residing in the area. There are no separate entrance examinations.
The curriculum includes reading, writing, mathematics, physical education, nature, art, and music. Not all courses at this level are graded, but grade four concludes with a state examination that measures performance in Ukrainian (or another native language), reading, and mathematics.
Basic Secondary Education (Middle School)
Basic secondary education lasts five years (grades five to nine) and is open to all pupils who successfully completed elementary education. The general core curriculum includes subjects like Ukrainian language and literature, foreign language, history, mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, physical education, music, and art. Assessment and promotion are primarily based on examinations. At the end of ninth grade, students sit for final state exams. Those who pass are awarded a “certificate of completion of basic secondary education” (svidotstvo pro bazovu zagal’nu serednyu osvitu). The grading scale used at all levels of schooling is the 12-point scale shown below.
Upper-Secondary Education (Specialized Secondary Education)
All graduates of basic secondary education are eligible to enroll in upper-secondary school. Under the new regulations that will be in place by 2027, upper-secondary education will be three years in length (grades 9 to 12) instead of two years (grades 9 to 11). This will align the Ukrainian system with the 12-year systems found in most of the world.
Both the old and new systems introduce curricular specializations at the upper-secondary level. However, the new system will be designed to allow students greater flexibility in choosing their electives. Students will be able to choose between academic and professional tracks studied at either academic or professional lyceums. Within these tracks, students study a general academic core curriculum in addition to specializing in academic or vocational fields. While studies in the academic track are designed to prepare students for further university education, the professional streams prepare students for employment as well as admission to higher education. It should be noted, however, that not all schools offer specialization tracks. and that many students presently attend general secondary programs.
As of 2019, all graduates who pass the final state examinations receive a “certificate of completed general secondary education” (svidotstvo pro zdobuttia povnoi zagalnoi serednoi osvity), a credential formerly also called the “certificate of completed secondary education” (atestat pro zagal’nu serednyu osvitu). The certificate lists a large number of subjects that span the entire curriculum, as well as three state examination subjects (Ukrainian language and literature, mathematics or history of Ukraine, and one subject of choice). In addition, students are required to sit for standardized tests that are externally assessed by the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment. These standardized tests are used for university admissions (see below).
More than 99 percent of upper-secondary school students are enrolled in public schools, per UNESCO. Private education does not play a significant role in the Ukrainian school system. In 2013 the completion rate exceeded 95 percent, and more than 80 percent of graduates enrolled in higher education programs. There were 591,448 upper-secondary students in Ukraine in 2017 (sharply down from 909,924 in 2012, according to UNESCO).
TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (TVET)
TVET programs are offered at both the secondary and post-secondary level in Ukraine. Their basic structure was inherited from the Soviet Union. The sector has declined rapidly in recent years because of population loss, low regard for TVET, rural-urban migration, and the dilapidated infrastructure and equipment of many technical and vocational colleges. The number of TVET students decreased from about 389,000 in 2013 to 285,000 in 2016/17, resulting in the closure of many TVET colleges, the number of which dropped from 983 in 2013 to 792 in 2016/17.
There are three levels of TVET qualifications in Ukraine. Level 1 qualifications are earned after short-term training programs of up to one-year’s duration that are designed to quickly impart specific practical skills. These programs don’t have formal academic admission requirements; they are open to anyone within the appropriate age range. The programs conclude with a vocational competence examination and the awarding of the title, Qualified Worker (dyplom kvalifikovanogo robitnyka). TVET programs at all levels are regulated and approved by the MOES, but curricula are usually designed by training providers in collaboration with industry. Training may be provided by schools and colleges associated with central or local government institutions, private businesses, or industry associations. Programs may be offered in a variety of forms, including part-time, distance education, or apprenticeship-type on-the-job training.
Level 2 TVET programs require at least the Certificate of Completion of Basic Secondary Education for admission. Program length varies from one and a half to three years based on the prior education of students and the type of program. Programs entered after grade nine are typically three years in length, including a general education component, but holders of the Certificate of Completed General Secondary Education can study in shorter, accelerated programs without the general education component. Like level 1 graduates, level 2 graduates are granted the title of Qualified Worker. However, the level 2 qualification not only entitles holders to employment in their field of specialization, it provides access to tertiary education as well.
Level 3 programs are post-secondary, higher level TVET courses of study usually offered by colleges and vocational schools (koledzh, uchylyshche) or universities, and lead to the awarding of a Diploma of Junior Specialist (dyplom molodshoho spetsialista), or more recently, the “Junior Bachelor” (molodshyi bakalavr). The Certificate of Completed General Secondary Education is generally required for admission. Fields like nursing, allied health, agriculture, teaching, or engineering technology, to name some examples, are offered. The programs typically last two, sometimes three or four years. Some can be entered on the basis of the Certificate of Completion of Basic Secondary Education. These programs include a general secondary education component and last three and a half years at minimum. Depending on the institution and course of study, Junior Specialist graduates may be exempted from one to two years of study in bachelor’s degree programs.
Current reform initiatives to revive the TVET sector and supply the Ukrainian economy with critically needed skilled workers include the introduction of a work-based dual training system similar to Germany’s or Switzerland’s. Model programs that consist of 30 percent theoretical instruction and 70 percent practical training have recently been introduced and are expected to become increasingly common in the years ahead.
Academic Institutions, Accreditation, and Quality Assurance
All academic institutions in Ukraine must have a license by the government in order to operate. In addition, institutions must be accredited by the State Accreditation Commission of the MOES to award state-recognized degrees and diplomas. There are presently four different levels of accreditation (as outlined below). It should be noted, however, that the entire quality assurance and accreditation system is currently undergoing major reforms. In the near future, accreditation will be granted by the new NAQAHE. The four different levels of accreditation will no longer be used. Instead, HEIs will be classified into four different categories, depending on the programs they offer and their level of specialization: universities, institutes, specialized academies, and colleges (which offer only undergraduate programs).
Under the current system, new HEIs must first submit their study programs for assessment by the State Accreditation Commission. Accreditation decisions are based on the evaluation of institutional self-assessments and criteria like adequate curricula, infrastructure, finances, staffing, research activities, and program structures. Program accreditation is granted for 10 years. HEIs can apply for institutional accreditation once 75 percent of their programs are accredited. Institutional accreditation is then granted for periods of five years. A register of Ukrainian HEIs and their levels of accreditation can be found on the website of the Ukrainian ENIC.
Under the current classification system, Ukrainian HEIs are categorized as follows:
Universities are multidisciplinary research institutions, public or private. They are further subdivided into “classical universities” and “specialized universities.” Classical universities offer graduate programs “in at least eight areas of study, as well as doctors of philosophy and doctors of science in at least 12 research fields.” As their name implies, specialized universities have a slightly narrower academic focus. They offer graduate programs “in at least four areas of study,” as well as PhD programs “in at least eight research fields.”
Institutes and academies are specialized HEIs accredited at level III or IV that offer graduate and doctoral programs in specific disciplines. They can be part of universities. Conservatories, likewise, are specialized HEIs with level III or level IV accreditation that offer advanced programs in artistic fields.
Colleges and technical schools are either stand-alone institutions accredited at level II, or part of larger HEIs accredited at level III or IV. They offer mostly applied first-cycle programs (Junior Bachelor/Specialist or Bachelor).
Most academic institutions in Ukraine are public. As of the 2014/15 academic year, there were 520 public and 144 private HEIs, with the latter enrolling only 9.2 percent of all students; 387 HEIs were accredited at levels I and II, whereas 277 held level III or IV accreditation. A majority of students (85 percent) were enrolled at the larger, multi-faculty level III or IV accredited institutions.
Ukrainian universities are not very well represented in international rankings. There are only four Ukrainian universities in the 2019 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, all of them ranked at position 1001+1: Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, and the V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. The 2019 QS World University Rankings features six Ukrainian universities—V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University is the highest ranked in 491st place. The 2018 Academic Ranking of World Universities (also known as the Shanghai Ranking) did not include any Ukrainian universities.
Current Reforms in Higher Education
There have been several important reforms in Ukrainian higher education in recent years, some of them driven by prolonged student protests against proposed fiscal changes, such as the removal of tuition caps at public HEIs and the reduction of government-funded university seats. In September 2017, the Ukrainian parliament passed the latest revision of the law on higher education, which increased student participation in university governance, tied financial aid to cost of living increases, improved financial transparency at HEIs, imposed term limits for university presidents and deans, and promoted greater academic autonomy. The revisions reduced both teacher workload and credit requirements for students; and reinforced academic integrity by introducing stiffer penalties for plagiarism and requiring HEIs to publish scientific papers online. They also restructured public university funding in a way that incentivizes universities to compete for the best students.
Another feature of the new legislation was the official adoption of the Bologna reforms in Ukraine. The law finalized the transition to the ECTS credit system and ended the old Soviet-style Diploma of Specialist and Diploma of Junior Specialist programs. As in all Bologna-compliant countries, 60 ECTS credit units are defined as one year of full-time study. Degree certificates are accompanied by the European diploma supplement, and current academic transcripts commonly express student performance in ECTS letter grades, although transcripts often also include a 0-100 numerical scale (and sometimes the old 1 to 5 numerical scale).
THE HIGHER EDUCATION DEGREE STRUCTURE
Ukraine’s 2014 law on higher education sets forth the degree structure outlined below. The last year that students could be admitted into Junior Specialist and Specialist programs was 2016, so this structure will soon be universal throughout Ukraine. One of the main changes is that the old Specialist programs, which were a legacy of the Soviet system and usually lasted five or five and a half years, have been split into two cycles. Instead of long single-tier programs, studies are now organized in an Anglo-Saxon style Bachelor and Master structure.
Junior Bachelor (Molodshyi Bakalavr)
The Junior Bachelor is a first-cycle, short-term program requiring 90 to 120 ECTS credits. While it is meant to replace the Junior Specialist, the Junior Bachelor is different in that the Certificate of Completed General Secondary Education or a completed Junior Specialist Diploma is the mandatory minimum admission requirement according to legislation, whereas some Junior Specialist programs could be entered after nine years of school.
Bachelor (Bakalavr)
Bachelor programs take three or four years (180–240 ECTS) to complete after upper-secondary school, with four years being more common. Holders of the Junior Bachelor or the Diploma of Junior Specialist may be exempt from part of the study requirements, depending on the institution and program. Programs generally require few general education courses; they commonly conclude with a final state examination and, in some cases, a thesis or graduation project.
Master (Magistr)
Admission into master’s programs requires a Bachelor or Diploma of Specialist at minimum, but individual HEIs may also demand entrance examinations or interviews. Programs are up to two years in length (90 to 120 ECTS) and conclude with the defense of a master’s thesis and state examinations.
Doctor of Philosophy/Art and Doctor of Science
There are two types of doctoral-level qualifications in Ukraine that build upon each other and are placed at levels 9 and 10 of the Ukrainian qualifications framework, respectively. Until recently, these credentials were called Candidate of Sciences (Kandydat Nauk) and Doctor of Sciences (Doktor Nauk). Today, the Candidate of Sciences is called the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of Art. Admission into this program, which lasts three years at minimum, requires a master’s degree or a Diploma of Specialist. It includes a mandatory course work component of 30 to 60 ECTS credits, research, and the defense of a dissertation. The Doctor of Sciences is a pure research qualification that requires additional research and the defense of another dissertation. This prestigious credential is the highest qualification in Ukraine and a requirement for full professorship at Ukrainian universities. Only a limited number of Candidates of Science complete it.
PROFESSIONAL DEGREES IN MEDICAL FIELDS
As in other European countries, professional degrees in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine have been excluded from the Bologna reforms in Ukraine and continue to be offered as long, single-tier programs. Medical programs are six years in length (360 ECTS), whereas dentistry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine are typically five years (300 ECTS). These qualifications are pegged at the same level as the master’s degree in the Ukrainian qualifications framework.
Medical programs lead to the award of the Doctor of Medicine (also referred to as Specialist until recently). After completion of the six-year general program, graduates must complete a mandatory clinical internship one to three years long in a medical specialty before they can practice. Physicians who have practiced for at least three years after completing the internship can then undertake further clinical residency training in their specialty or train in additional specialties. The clinical residency program lasts two to four years (120 to 240 ECTS). Study programs in dentistry are structured similarly.
TEACHER EDUCATION
The degree requirements for teachers in Ukraine depend on the level of education. Preschool and elementary school teachers can teach with a Junior Bachelor from a pedagogical college. Secondary school teachers, on the other hand, must have a Bachelor from a university or university-level institution (institutes, academies). Bachelor programs for teachers are typically four years in length (three years for holders of a diploma of Junior Specialist); curricula include a teaching practicum. As of 2016, there were 40 pedagogical colleges and 66 university-level HEIs offering teacher training programs in Ukraine.
Though nations have few similarities but plenty of differences what matter is that they are trying their best to attain the good education that every individual deserve and be able to grow and see opportunities in every havoc of life.
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