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18 September 2009 15:41

Second Artek Dialogs International Educational Forum Began

September 18, 2009, Head of the Supervisory Board of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Foundation Kateryna Yushchenko took part in the Equal Access to Quality Education: the Challenge of the Third Millennium plenary session.

This event, hosted by Suuk-Su Palace of the Artek International Children’s Center, opened the Artek Dialogs Second International Educational Forum.

“The Forum has become one of the most welcome events in the educational community,” Mrs. Yushchenko said in her address. “In these years we were able to create an environment enabling the pedagogues to showcase their attainments and familiarize themselves with others’ attainments. We believe that this way – through immediate experience exchange and learning from each other – is the most effective, forming a common understanding of how we should modernize the educational system.”

“I am happy that this environment embraces not only pedagogues but also representatives of the authorities, mass media, public organizations, and business. It becomes self-sufficient, able to set its own tasks and fulfill them,” Mrs. Yushchenko said.

Mrs. Yushchenko described the Ukraine 3000 Foundation’s project, Doing Good Starts with You, aimed at involving into charitable activities children’s and youth groups. She also recalled that this year the Foundation and the Banking University at the NSS had published the Social Responsibility of the Business textbook.

Mrs. Kateryna called on the Forum participants to take part in the discussion on the White Book of National Education project and form a common idea on what Ukraine’s educational system should be like. “I am convinced that, if we are able to do this, it would be the best result and appraisal of our work,” she said.

The presentation of the White Book of National Education was started by President of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences Vasyl Kremin. Recall that the research part of the White Book project was created by the APS. Mr. Kremin quoted some theses, taken as a basis for the White Book, and expressed his hope that the Forum participants would study it thoroughly and suggest their proposals and criticism.

Coordinator of the second part of the White Book project Viktor Hromovy presented his colleagues, practicing pedagogues’, work. He said that, having complemented the researchers’ and practitioners’ ideas with those by other participants of the educational process – parents and officials, - one could get the complete picture of proposals regarding the modernization of Ukraine’s educational system.

Among other speakers were People’s Deputy of Ukraine Lesia Orobets, department director with the Ministry for Education and Science Oleh Yeresko, independent expert and advisor to the President of Kyrgyzstan Vladimir Nikitin, President of the National Kyiv Mohyla Academy University Serhiy Kvit, Rector of the National Academy of Management Serhiy Yerokhin, and other renowned representatives of the pedagogical community.

“Education and transfer of knowledge should be one of the state priorities,” Artek ICC Director Borys Novozhylov said. “This is a foundation, upon which the state will work in 30 years. The participants of this Forum lay precisely this foundation by creating and discussing the White Book.”

The Artek Dialogs are held September 18-19, 2009. Its major goal is discussing the White Book of National Education project. This document presents a consolidated vision by the Ukrainian society of the national educational and upbringing system development strategy.

Among the Forum participants are over 300 representatives of the pedagogical community, international institutions, youth and charitable organizations in Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Italy, Austria, Germany and the US.

The Forum will feature two plenary sessions and the Quality Education for Children with Limited Abilities conference. Five sessions will be held: High School: Trends in Reforming University Education, From Extracurricular Activities to Extracurricular Education, Quality of Secondary Education: How to Solve Multiple Problems, Coordination of the Development Vector of National Education with Requests of the Modern Real Economy, and Lifelong Education: How and What Shall We Teach Adults.

Earlier, September 17, presentations were held of Artek ICC, NaUKMA, Renaissance and Ukraine 3000 Foundations educational programs and the Philanthropist 2009 National Competition.

The Forum’s organizers are the Ukraine 3000 Foundation and Artek ICC. The event is supported by UNESCO, the Ministry for Education and Science of Ukraine, Ministry for Family, Youth, and Sports, and Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine. The Forum’s national informational partners are the Pershy Natsionalny TV channel, Ukrayina Moloda newspaper, and Shkilny Svit Publishers.