The development of ukrainian and polish private higher education in the process of democratization (from 1990 to 2010)

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The development of ukrainian and polish private higher education in the process of democratization (from 1990 to 2010)

Havran M. I.

Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor,

Associate Professor at the Department of Foreign Languages Lviv Polytechnic National University

Lviv,

Busko M. I.

Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor,

Associate Professor at the Department of Foreign Languages Lviv Polytechnic National University, Lviv,

The comparative analysis presented in this article aims to analyze the development of private higher education in Ukraine and Poland during the process of democratization from 1990 to 2010, the time when both countries underwent transformation processes of creating new democratic legislation and new market conditions. The authors have conducted the analysis of historical and social preconditions for private higher education formation in both countries. The necessity to analyse Polish experience and its contribution to the development of private higher education have been provided. The works of famous Polish and Ukrainian scientists on the given problem have been studied. The objectives of the article have been defined. The authors substantiate the theoretical, methodological and legislative principles of private higher education development in both countries. Analysing the dynamics of Ukrainian and Polish non-state higher education institutions development during the democratization period and considering legislative changes in the system of education of countries, their social and political peculiarities, the authors determined three different development stages of private HE in Ukraine and Poland and substantiated them. It was concluded that at the last stage the system of private higher education in both countries had been well organized and stabilized. The authors have found out not only common, but also distinctive characteristics of private higher education in two countries during three distinguished periods. The structural and functional features of private higher education institutions have been presented and the essential features of private higher education institutions of Ukraine and Poland in terms of institution types, student number and specialists' training have been characterized. The authors formulate the proposals for possible ways to adapt Polish experience in private higher education in Ukraine, highlight the perspectives of their development and also provide suggestions for future research in the area of private higher education development.

Key words: private higher education, development stages, non-state higher education institution, Ukraine, Poland.

РОЗВИТОК УКРАЇНСЬКОЇ ТА ПОЛЬСЬКОЇ НЕДЕРЖАВНОЇ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ У ПРОЦЕСІ ДЕМОКРАТИЗАЦІЇ (З 1990 ПО 2010 Р.)

Гавран M. І.

кандидат педагогічних наук, доцент, доцент кафедри іноземних мов Національний університет «Львівська політехніка», Львів, Україна

Бусько М. І.

кандидат педагогічних наук, доцент, доцент кафедри іноземних мов Національний університет «Львівська політехніка», Львів, Україна

Стаття присвячена порівняльному аналізу розвитку приватної вищої освіти в Україні та Польщі у період демократизації, а саме з 1990 по 2010 рік, часу, коли обидві країни зазнали трансформаційних процесів, які були зумовлені необхідністю створення нового демократичного законодавства та нових ринкових умов. Автори навели коротку компаративну характеристику історичних та соціальних передумов формування приватної вищої освіти в Україні та Польщі. Зазначено необхідність вивчення та аналізу польського досвіду розвитку приватних закладів вищої освіти. Вивчено та проаналізовано праці відомих польських та українських учених із цієї проблеми з метою обґрунтування теоретичних, методологічних та законодавчих засад розвитку приватної вищої освіти в обох країнах. Наведено динаміку розвитку українських та польських недержавних вищих навчальних закладів упродовж періоду демократизації, враховуючи кількість закладів вищої освіти та студентів, які там навчалися. Беручи до уваги кількісні показники, законодавчі зміни в системі освіти країн, їх соціальні та політичні особливості, автори визначили три різні етапи розвитку приватних закладів вищої освіти в Україні та Польщі та охарактеризували їх. Встановлено, що на останньому етапі система приватної вищої освіти в обох країнах була добре організована та стабілізована, досягнувши найвищих показників. Виокремлено не лише спільні, але й відмінні характеристики приватної вищої освіти у двох країнах протягом трьох визначних етапів розвитку. Наведено структурно-функціональні особливості приватних вищих навчальних закладів та охарактеризовано особливості приватних вищих навчальних закладів України та Польщі щодо типів навчальних закладів, кількості студентів, форм отримання освіти та напрямів підготовки фахівців. Сформульовано пропозиції щодо можливих шляхів адаптації польського досвіду приватної вищої освіти в Україні, висвітлено перспективні напрями розвитку недержавних закладів вищої освіти, а також надано пропозиції щодо майбутніх досліджень у галузі розвитку приватної вищої освіти.

Ключові слова: недержавна вища освіта, етапи розвитку, заклад вищої освіти недержавної форми власності, Україна, Польща.

Introduction

The process of globalisation causes the necessity of socio-economic, political, cultural transformations in higher education. The intention of Ukraine to integrate into the European and world community and European education area predetermined the reforming of higher education system, aimed at training highly qualified specialists, forming competent as well as competitive individuals with the high level of hard and soft skills, moralities, and citizenship. The growth of private higher education (HE) in Ukraine, which in cooperation with the state one promotes not only meeting socio-economic needs of society but also European education standards. In the process of development of private HE in Ukraine, some contradictions and difficulties that determine the necessity to study the experience of foreign countries appeared. Ukrainian scientists take a widespread interest in Poland due to the fact of its considerable achievements in the field of HE. Moreover, mentality and the system of values of Poland are historically close to Ukrainian culture and society.

There is a vast amount of literature on the problems of historical, socio-cultural, and political aspects of private HE development in different countries. Among the scientists who devoted their research to the given problem there are: Ball S. who outlined an analytic history of privatisation of HE [1]; Shah M., Nair C., and Bennet L. who analysed the factors that influence students choice of private HE institution [2] and many others. The fundamental issues of studying management, organization, governance, and funding state and private HEIs were published in scientific papers of Fried J., Glass A., and A. Baumgartl who conducted a comparative analysis on European private HE [3]; Scott P. who investigated the tendencies of private HE in Europe [5].

Many attempts have been made by Ukrainian and Polish scientists with the purpose of research findings in theoretical and methodological principles of the non-state HE development in Poland and Ukraine (Astakova V., Romanchuk Ya., Kruszewski Z., Lewowicki T., etc), advantages and drawbacks of private HE (Dobryanskyi I., Korsak K., Pawlowski K., Duczmal W., Kwiek M. [5], etc).

Despite this interest, we realize the lack of systemic and complex comparative research of private HE in Ukraine and Poland in the period of their democratization, when both countries underwent transformation processes of creating new democratic legislation and new market conditions, developing private enterprises that caused the revival of private HE as “market relations inevitably penetrate into the education system, which is focused on existing social groups in society and their interests [6, p. 43]. We take under consideration the twenty-year period (1990-2010) from the time when there were the first attempts of establishing non-state HEIs after the democratic elections in Poland in 1990 and Ukraine in 1991, to one of the most successful stages of their development.

The topicality of the research theme is caused by the fact that there is still some controversy surrounding market needs, educational demands of youths, social interest to getting qualitative educational services and financial opportunities of state HE of Ukraine to satisfy them. In this context we consider the necessity of searching for perspective ways of Ukrainian private higher education improvement and development through creative applying of Polish innovative experience in this field. democratization market legislation education

The purpose of the article is to analyze the development of private HE in Ukraine and Poland in the process of their democratization from 1990 to 2010.

In the light of the above we define the following objectives: 1) to substantiate theoretical, historical and legislative basis of the development of private HE of Ukraine and Poland; 2) to distinguish and analyze private HE development stages in Ukraine and Poland during 1990-2010; 3) to highlight the perspectives of non-state HEIs future development.

Results of the research

Private higher education in Ukraine and Poland has long traditions. The facts of existence of higher schools that were financed not by the state but by individuals in Ukraine were discovered in XVI - XVII century. There are also historical facts that non-state HEIs had even worked in Eastern Ukraine by 1917. In Poland, HEIs that appeared on personal initiative existed since 1595; their activities had been observed by 1949. However, later due to political and ideological thinking of countries' authorities, non-state HEIs were closed.

In the context of social and economic transformations caused by democratization processes at the beginning of 1990s, there was a revival of Polish and Ukrainian private HE. Along with state HEIs private ones became leading means for reforming HE system in both countries. The establishment of non-state HEIs provided the opportunity to introduce new specialities according to labour market demands and European education requirements, to train highly qualified specialists, to satisfy educational needs and professional interests of a new democratic knowledge society.

The analysis of philosophical and pedagogical sources proves that dynamic pattern in social and economic development of the state has a direct impact on establishing philosophical and conceptual basis, principles of HE development, and private HE in particular. We determine that theoretical and methodological principles of development of private HE in Ukraine and Poland are similar and are based on the ideas of humanist philosophy and pedagogy, ideas of new educational paradigm that is formed according to the needs and requirements of post-industrial society, knowledge society and focuses on demands of labour market and person's interests. The main basis for private HE in Ukraine and Poland are considered to be partnership pedagogy (supporting equitable subject- to-subject relationship, cooperation between a lecturer and a student in academic process), and also learner- centered pedagogy (emphasizing the personality uniqueness and directing educational environment on individual development of every student).

The analysis of the legislation of Ukraine and Poland as well as previous reports has shown that nonstate sector of HE is absolutely legal in both countries, which enables them to award state-recognized degrees and secures their graduates' recognition on labour market. Non-state HEIs in Ukraine are both educational establishments and for-profit organizations, for this reason they are deprived of state financing and their incomes are taxed at a rate of about 70 percent. American researchers of private HE in Ukraine Stelar J. and Stocker J. state that in addition to paying these onerous taxes, Ukrainian private HEIs need to support daily operations, meet standards for state-controlled licensing and accreditation, and cope with the old Soviet administrative command [7, p. 14]. Law in Poland provides more democratic conditions for functioning of non-state HEIs, as they can obtain a fellowship not paying income tax and value-added tax.

The analysis of previous studies as well as historical documents gave us the possibility to define the common historical preconditions for developing of private HE in Ukraine and Poland, among which we single out: switching to democratic form of state rule; creating market economic conditions; developing private entrepreneurship; passing new educational legislation; establishing democratic principles in educational system (administrative decentralization, HEI autonomy, availability, humanization, national identity, etc.).

Another significant result of our comparative analysis is that some social and cultural preconditions for developing Ukrainian and Polish private HE are common for both countries, such as: political and public persons' understanding the necessity of private HE revival; availability of non-budgetary financing; increasing social interest to getting HE; focus of nonstate HEIs on labour market and youth requirements. However, the current study also proves that during the period of democratic changes non-state HE sector of Poland in comparison with Ukraine was characterized by intensive development of self-government, significance of reforms in education, decentralized management, prompt and faster response to market demands and youth educational requirements.

Due to urgent implementation of reforms in education, liberalization of educational and tax policy, government confidence in non-state HEIs, from 1990 to 2010, there were established more non-state HEIs in Poland than in Ukraine, and consequently higher number of students were engaged into educational services of private HE (see Table 1).

Having analysed the dynamics of Ukrainian and Polish non-state HEIs development during the democratization period of 1990-2010 and considering legislative changes in the system of education of both countries, their social and political peculiarities, we can determine and substantiate development stages of private HE in Ukraine and Poland. In this research paper, stage is considered as a clearly defined period of time characterized by qualitatively different events and features that affect the evolution of private HE. The development of Ukrainian non-state HE is distinguished by such stages as:

- the first stage (1990-1996) is characterised by establishing ofthe first non-state HEIs accordingto Law “On Education” since 23rd June 1991 (Article 3 states that an extensive network of educational institutions based on non-state and other forms of ownership can provide education) [10, p. 943], establishing Interdepartmental Accreditation Committee and consequently stabilizing quantitative indicators of non-state HEIs (in 1996 there were 111 private HEIs);

- the second stage (1996-2008) refers to gradual increase in number of non-state HEIs according to the first democratic legislation - Law “On Higher Education” (17.01.2002 p.) (in 2008 there were 202 private HEIs), awarding first state-recognized degrees; improving the work of non-state HEIs in accordance with principles and tasks of Bologna process;

- the third stage (2008 - 2010) is determined by gradual decrease of the number of non-state HEIs (from 202 in 2008 to 188 in 2010 [5]).

We also make three-stage development classification for Polish private HE, such as:

Table 1

The development of Ukrainian and Polish non-state HEIs and number of their students until 2010

Source: own authors' analysis based on the data from [8; 9]

- the first stage (1990-1998) is characterised by establishing non-state HEIs according to the first democratic Law “On Higher Education” (12.01.1990), dynamic process of increasing the number, establishing the network of non-state professional HEIs according to Law “On Post-secondary Schools” (26.06.1997) (in 1998 there were 158 non-state HEIs [8, p. 28]);

- the second stage (1998 - 2006) refers to qualitative and quantitative development of private He (in 2006 - 318 non-state HEIs) according to Law “On Higher Education” (27.08.2005), accreditation of non-state HEIs, employment of the first graduates; becoming a member of European Union, development of non-state HEIs according to the requirements of Bologna process, exemption from paying income tax and value-added tax;

- the third stage (2006 - 2010) - achieving the highest quantitative indicators since its appearance in the democratic educational area (328 non-state HEIs).

Therefore, the comparative analysis of private HE in Ukraine and Poland shows three different stages of their development that vary according to time, democratic legislation, social and political initiatives and quantitative indicators. The last stage proves that until 2010 the system of private higher education in both countries had been well organized and stabilized.

Considering structural and functional features of private HE in both states we disclose that during three stages institutions of this sector focus their activities on the professional directions that are the most popular among employers and high school graduates and thanks to which it is possible to get profit. During the first stage, as first priority Ukrainian HEIs provided educational services in such fields as: Finance, Accounting, Management, and Economics of enterprises. The situation did not change much during the following years when the majority of nonstate HEIs in Ukraine trained specialists in Economics and Entrepreneurship. But during the third stage we observe some changes in specialities offered by private HEIs, because of labour market oversupply with managers and economists. These institutions reoriented training of bachelors in the scarcest and newest professions among which there were Law, International relations, Computer sciences.

In Poland, non-state HE structure mostly consists on higher schools and universities. With the increase of the number of non-state HEIs the variety of suggested training directions of different educational levels extends. In 2010, according to the syllabus of the first level (bachelor's degree), there were more than 418 thousand students among whom over 54 thousand engineers and 364 thousand licentiates [8]. The demand for getting HE according to the second level (master's degree) was also increasing and during the third stage their number increased by 11,193 students. The analysis of education fields in private HE system of Poland proved that during these three stages most HEIs offered training programme in Management and Administration. However, such fields as Education, Informatics, Tourism and Recreation, Architecture, Medicine were also in demand. At the same time Management and Administration, Informatics, Education, Economics were still among the most popular specialities [11, p. 474].

It is worth mentioning that one of the distinguishing features of Polish non-state HE is large-scale implementation of part-time programmes, where more students studied during all the stages in comparison with full-time programmes. Having analyzed statistical data, we found out that comparing with Poland, Ukrainian students mostly chose fulltime programmes. For instance, in 2010 among 580 thousands of students in Polish non-state HEIs 481932 students (83%) chose distance education programmes, while in Ukrainian non-state HEIs, there were 61,5 % full-time students and 38,5 % parttime students [8; 9].

The research has outlined the possibility of nonstate HEIs in Ukraine and Poland to create innovative structures, test fundamentally new educational models that satisfy people's needs in lifelong learning. One of the structural features of non-state HEIs is their compactness (a few faculties and departments) that allows them to experience high level of mobility in organizing academic process, develop flexible curricula, introduce new courses, provide intensive professional training of specialists taking into account students' requirements.

Conclusions

Considering democratic legislative changes in the system of education of Ukraine and Poland during 1990-2010 and analysing the dynamics of non-state HEIs development relating to their numbers and students studied there, development stages of private HE in Ukraine and Poland were determined and substantiated. Having defined three different stages of their development that vary according to time, democratic legislation, social and political initiatives and quantitative indicators, we concluded that at the last stage the system of private higher education in both countries had been well organized and stabilized. We believe that it is worth adapting and using productive ideas of Polish experience for development of modern private HE in Ukraine: to extend areas of professional training; adaptation of specialities to labour market demands; development and improvement of alternative forms of studying (distance learning, online learning); to provide favourable conditions for involving foreign students to study in Ukraine.

We are confident that our research paper will serve as a base for future studies on organization of postgraduate training, distance education, training adults and foreigners in non-state HEIs of Poland.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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REFERENCES

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