Representatives of Scientific society of students and postgraduates of NTUU “KPI” took part in the All-Ukrainian roundtable discussion “A student's view of legislative reforms in the sphere of higher education of Ukraine” which took place on September, 14 in Kyiv. This project is realized by the Ukrainian association of student's self-governance and is aimed at providing participation of students, authorities of student's self-governance and student's organizations in legislative ensuring reform of higher education in Ukraine.
During round table discussion representatives of more than 60 student’s organizations all over the Ukraine discussed registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine bill “About the Higher Education” and motions to it. The motions were redacted according to the results of holding regional student's roundtable discussions which have taken place during May-June of this year.
In particular, students defined one of the main problems which slow down the development of higher education in Ukraine. They think that this is excessive centralization of a supervision system of higher school which excludes influence of higher education establishments, students and employers on educational process; lack of proper regulation of the mechanisms of use of facilities provided for the development of student's self-governance; considerable expansion of plagiary. Also the participants mentioned some theses, in particular that today reform of higher education necessitate the implementation of the principles of Bologna Process and the best European practices in the organization of educational activity in this area. Actually there is also a need of expansion of autonomy of higher education establishments in the sphere of formation of the content of education and integration of representatives of student's self-governance and employers in institutional bodies of development of academic programmes.
As a results the participants of a roundtable discussion promote the bill “About Higher Education” No. 1187-2 as such that takes into account viewpoint of students, student's and youth non-governmental organizations, administration of higher education establishments, the ministries, employers etc.
The head of expert department of Ukrainian Association of Student’s Governance mentioned: “The bill of the group of M.Z. Zgurovsky takes as a basis of educational process the quality of higher education, which is extremely necessary nowadays. The quality of higher education will give an opportunity for university graduates to become more competitive on a labor market, for higher education establishments to become more popular among applicants from Ukraine and abroad, and country will receive highly educated citizens, which will develop economy, science and innovations.”
Students also made such proposals directed on improvement of the quality of higher education as: establishing by law the limit rates of work loads of students and teachers of higher education establishments; activation of cooperation between higher education establishments and employers; inclusions of representatives of student's self-governance in institutional bodies and the committees of the higher education establishments which purpose is broadening of cooperation between higher education establishments and employers; organization of practical trainings and study courses of students; to add the provision of conditions for the development of private business among students to the competence of higher education establishments, and also to afford the opportunity for students to study according to the individual plan in case of opening their own business.
The representative of student's self-governance of NTUU “KPI”, the head of scientific society of students and postgraduates of “KPI” Taras Boykiv who took part in round-table meeting, mentioned: “We understand all responsibility which lies on student's self-governance in questions of upholding of their rights. And we are grateful to our rector Michael Zakharovich Zgurovsky for development and promoting of such draft bill on education which considers needs of students and student's self-governance”.