MES at the center of the scandal: Vynnytsky’s statement caused a wave of outrage
13 November 2024 13:43
Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mykhailo Vynnytskyy said that the function of higher education is not to prepare specialists for the labor market, this function is performed by vocational education institutions and colleges. This statement caused a resonance and outrage in society, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
The deputy minister explained that an excessive emphasis on student employment turns universities into vocational schools, moving away from their original educational and scientific mission. According to him, an excessive number of high school graduates are currently enrolling in universities, often under pressure from parents, for whom a diploma has an important symbolic meaning.
“We have a huge number of applicants going to higher education. It’s getting to the point of absurdity, because three quarters of our school leavers go to higher education. Why? Because their mother said they should have a diploma. We forget the function of higher education. This is not preparation for the labor market,” Vynnytsky said in the Dopamine for Education podcast.
He also noted that the approach to university education has remained unchanged since Soviet times, when it was believed that education should prepare personnel for the economy.
“In Soviet times, it was always said that education should prepare personnel for the national economy. We changed the words, but kept the meaning. Now we don’t train personnel for the national economy, we train specialists for the labor market. But the essence is the same. And this is wrong,” emphasized Vynnytsky.
According to him, this turns a university into a professional school. According to Vynnytsky, universities should remain academic institutions, while training of specialized specialists should take place in colleges and specialized educational institutions.
“We need professional schools, but this is really a college. Over time, we will see that some institutions will work for the labor market, and some will be more academic communities, and there is nothing wrong with that,” says the Deputy Minister of Education and Science.
He believes that in the future, higher education should be divided into academic and vocational, and this will require different approaches to funding and admission systems from the state.
As an example, he cited grant programs aimed at supporting different educational environments.
“Grants are the first step in that direction. When a student gets into an environment where he or she understands that under the dual system, under various practical programs, he or she works with an employer and prepares himself or herself for a career, or other students who answer the question “Who will you be?” with the word “human,” the deputy minister said.
This position caused a wave of indignation among Ukrainians, as many expect universities to be ready for the real labor market.
“What nonsense. What are they using there? How can I comment on this? What do universities prepare for and why? I have never seen more incompetent leaders in the Ministry of Education and Science,” “They are fantasizing,” “Isn’t medical education at Bohomolets National Medical University higher education? Engineers – power engineers, construction workers, transport workers – are not trained in universities? My son, a power engineer, was asked not about the Kirchhoff Law when he was hired, but about ways to compensate for reactive power in consumer networks – that is, the employer needs not an abstract specialist, but an employee who knows and can work,” Ukrainians are outraged.
The public points out that such an approach could further detach higher education from the practical needs of young professionals and the labor market, which could negatively affect the career prospects of graduates.
“This statement completely contradicts the foundations of the competency-based approach in higher education, and also calls into question the participation of employers in the development and updating of educational programs.” “What then is the product of the University? Does he know everything but can’t do anything after four or more years of study? We need to show this gentleman to medical school graduates, let them guess what he is sick with and prescribe treatment.”, “The whole interview consists of fantasies that are not substantiated by anything. And some of the “sentences” are a verbal labyrinth, from which nothing is clear”, “It is surprising that Ukrainian education is being deliberately destroyed in front of millions, educators are shouting about it, and the state is silent…. No, it is destroying it further,” Ukrainians write.
As a reminder, the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Oksen Lisovyi recently announced that the Ministry of Education and Science had approved the Conceptual Framework for Reforming History Education in the General Secondary Education System. In the comments to this post, Ukrainians called Lisovyi the worst minister, an enemy of Ukraine, and “worse than Tabachnyk.”
It is worth noting that the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine may get a new head in the near future. Kommersant Ukrainian has learned from its own sources that the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, Oksen Lisovyi, may soon be fired.
