Problems of Education in the 21st Century

9-14

Authors: Ochieng Pamela Atieno

A range of interest groups that exert power and authority over policy-making influences the policy process. These influences affect each stage of the process from agenda setting, to the identification of alternatives, weighing up the options, choosing the most favourable and implementing it. Policy practices are not a rational search. A crucial aspect of all policy practice is specifically what and who is included. The style of policy discourses is overwhelmingly to talk as though that were not so; but as though the data were inclusive, the processes rational and the remedy simply knowledge- or research- based (Apthorpe 1986).The paper examines the dichotomy between educational policy making and implementation and focuses on the Policy evolution in Kenya . It examines a few models of policy implementation and shows the possible consequences of dichotomy and the importance of owning a policy. The paper concludes that Policy formulation and Implementation is a complex messy business which is not tied up in neat theoretical packages

22-29

Authors: Dina Bethere, Anita Lidaka

This publication will address a problem topical for international educational system: assuuring educational continuity in segmented educational system. Functioning of mutualy united educational stages is a significant factor for implementing the aims of lifelong education. Educational transition period is consequential for segmented educational system and leaves sustainable influence on educational process of the child. This phase is a particular challenge for children with special needs, and it is not possible to overcome transition without external help. One of the most important aspects of educational transition is preparing children and fostering their adaptation for learning in primary school. According to ecosystemic approach, this development depends from interaction of children’s parents and microsystems of preschool and primary school. In Latvian educational macrosystem there are no approaches elaborated that would assure interaction possibilities of above mentioned microsystems. There are no traditions of cooperation also on macrosystemic level. To overcome these problems and to implement transition periods qualitatively, schools need to increase their capacity.

36-45

Authors: Alexis Daj, Andreea Chirca

The increasing competitiveness, rising target audience’s expectations (students, their families, employees/employers, academic staff, government, suppliers) and widening access to information determines higher education institutions across the world to continuously evaluate their activities with the external environment, get in touch with the users' needs and integrate this analysis into their every day working plan, which, in fact, means adopting the marketing concept – an important issue, that concerns higher education marketers, even with today’s grim economic outlook. Recent studies indicate that nowadays higher education institutions are moving online across the spectrum of marketing activities, from building awareness to creating a high-quality virtual education system and they use online tools as an important and effective component of their marketing strategies. In order that the Internet is most effective, it requires to be deployed as part of an integrated marketing communications approach. European higher education institutions have to identify ways to integrate E-marketing tools into their communication plans. The unique characteristics of the new media require that a database driven segmentation approach to communication strategy be employed, including the development of a customized, interactive, integrated marketing communication plan.

61-67

Authors: Ilze Ivanova

Lifelong Learning is not a new concept in education and in the development of personality. It has been an issue in theoretical sources, business affairs, in everyday life and on the level of politicians for many years. Nowadays Lifelong Learning in the rapidly changing world has become like an “umbrella” embracing all kinds of education leading to a certain system of education Adult education is an important part of this system. It is never neutral. Educators provide and organize education, encourage learners, promote change based on the social, political and cultural situation and priorities in the society and country, whilst also acting in the global world. Adult educators take responsibility for being open to and responsible for personal development and social intervention. Engaging in adult education means interaction, which should be based on the democratic values and principles. The article characterizes the adult educator as a teacher, a guide, a facilitator, a trainer from the theoretical point of view and gives the real analysis, based on documents, questionnaires, discussions in the case of Latvia, leading to the point that it is a very essential issue in the policy of Lifelong Learning in the country.

74-87

Authors: Airi Kukk

Sustainable education is a multi-level process, which bears humanistic values in today’s and tomorrow’s society and which is achieved through a long-term development process, where acquiring practical skills is in compliance with the theoretical self-concept and the concept of the whole surrounding environment. This principle is the basis for the objectives and competences formulated in curricula of pre-school education and primary education. The stronger is the connection between the two stages of education, the more sustainable is transition from kindergarten to school. However, in practical education we often experience something else. Therefore, the following questions need to be answered: To what extent does today’s education take into account regularities of children’s development? How is the sustainability of the objectives of the curricula of pre-school and primary education guaranteed? The aim is to give a survey on school readiness of children at school entry in different counties of Estonia and the children’s achievements at the end of the first stage of their studies. Methods. The research data have been collected in the framework of the ETF grant “Efficiency of pre-school education and its sustainable development in basic schools in four counties (Saare, Järva, Võru and East-Viru County)”; in 2005 data were collected in pre-school child care institutions, and in 2006-2008 in grades 1-3. This is a longitudinal study, which analyses the development of the same children from their last year at kindergarten up to the end of the third year at school. Children’s coping was assessed by their teacher in five point scale in nine different target fields. The research results showed that according to their teachers, children were well prepared for school in respect to different subjects, but there were several shortcomings in social skills, in their positive self-concept, and in the formation of abilities to learn.

100-107

Authors: Margarita Putniņa

The wonders of technology have brought the net society to confusion in different spheres of life: politics, economy, culture and even interpersonal communication. Tons of information about ever-increasing options have determined lack of face-to-face communication, thus alienating humans in the process of interaction Researchers from various countries consider that a power of inner guidance system, exactly – intuition can provide humans with the clarity in decision making not only in scientific and job situations but also in the day-to-day issues of interpersonal relationships. The hypothesis advanced: if in the process of interpersonal communication alongside the rational reasoning the practical power of intuition is used, interaction of humans is more effective. According to the results obtained in the practical research the author states: - students’ way of thinking (Left, Right or L/R brain thinkers) and use of intuition differ; - the mentioned phenomena depend on person’s possibility to harmonize left – right brain activities, to be creative, positive and open to any experience. The author suggests: - students have to develop holistic perception of social processes and humans’ interaction; - creativity, positive thinking, striving to cooperation, compassion and altruism can serve the young to become intuitive thinkers and good communicators.

117-125

Authors: Malgorzata Stopikowska

The article deals with the issue of the educational system of Polish national minority in the Republic of Belarus. In spite of the fact that citizens of Polish origin have always been very numerous there, they had been deprived of national education for almost 50 years (1949-1988). The situation changed in the period of “perestroika”, when members of the Polish minority were allowed to introduce lessons of the Polish language into schools. However, only the collapse of the USSR and the establishment of the independent Republic of Belarus caused a radical change in the status quo. According to the Byelorussian legislation, Poles have been able to open Polish schools and/or courses. As a result Polish national education underwent a period of rapid development which lasted until 2005. The article presents the domestic law of the republic and bilateral agreements (between Poland and the Republic of Belarus), enabling the Polish minority to develop their own system of education. It also shows several examples of organizational models of teaching the Polish language that function within the framework of the state educational system and beyond. The paper gives an overview of the extent and tendencies in the development of the Polish national education in Belarus.

133-143

Authors: Ľubomír Zelenický, Beáta Stehlíková, Anna Tirpáková

Human capital as one determinant of a long term economic growth is often identified with school education. In this paper, the dependency of the total percentage of population in all types of education on the GDP, in all EU15 countries as well as EU25 is demonstrated. The paper also focuses on the spatial aspect of undergraduate education on the level of states as well as NUTS2 as a whole; and also on the university education in technical fields, mathematics, science and technologies that can eliminate overall economic lagging of Europe.

151-158

Authors: Marek Wasielewski

In the paper a methodical system of checking the level of achieving educational goals at the university is presented, and some its practical features are characterized. Construction of the evaluation system requires defining the main structural and functional components of educational system. The latter contains an assessment component, existing at two levels. First, the basic concepts, theories, and rules, mastering of fundamental knowledge, and generalized skills should be examined. Fullness of assimilation of the knowledge, understanding of problems, ability of explanation of phenomena and processes, assimilation of appropriate terminology can be treated as criteria of obtaining goals of education. Also, accomplishment of formulation of educational problems, searching of information, executing of experiments could be considered here. Higher level of the educational competency, contains different types of their self-reliant activity. It can be shown by the ability to solve complex or non-standard problems, in which intra-, and interdisciplinary links are realized, and which need the application of the acquired knowledge for achieving a new one. This level of methodological competency needs creativeness and ability of complex usage of the obtained knowledge in the different situations. The above mentioned principles have been applied in the methodical system of teaching inorganic chemistry. In the paper the ranking system proposed for complete evaluation of students’ achievements and its constituents are described in details. Every kind of student’s activity is valued in points. Additional points can be obtained e.g. for a presentation at a conference. Penalty points are subtracted for absence at the seminars or laboratories. The essence of the ranking system is the necessity of gathering points, which are converted into the traditional marks at the end of each semester. The points collected all over the year account for 40% of the total end mark. Points obtained for the final test account for the remaining 60%. Thus, it’s easier to pass the exam, however, student’s activity during seminars and laboratories is needed. Many years experience shows, that proposed ranking system helps to improve quality of educational process.

168-174

Authors: Ketevan Chkuaseli, Tamar Gegeshidze

Globalization is not new in education, this process demands integration the labor market and consequently the problem facing to universities are very complex. They should create strategy towards the labor market. Universities should provide quality of education. The current labor market demands such professional level that is not peculiar for the post-soviet mentality. Georgia has made historical choice in favor of the European democracy and this process demanded reforms in all areas. The Higher Education entered into new economic space. Georgia has joined to Bologna Process and accepts its main principles – unification space of Higher Education that means the integrity European market. The purpose of our research is investigating the relation of the state and private universities of Georgia with the labor market, with employers and study motivation of students how do they make a choice of concrete university. Research includes two stages, the first stage - The analysis a web-sites of the state and private universities, the second stage - Interrogation of students. Results of research shown: the state universities are oriented by fundamental education, and private universities are oriented by narrow-special formation demanded by the labor market. Social and economic situation in the country causes prestige of such specialties which are dominant in the modern market. As a result, students choose prestigious private universities. Obviously, state universities should reconsider philosophy of management, at that time, must not lose quality and own identity.