Secondary education in Ukraine and France: current trends

Abstract

The article deals with the current trends in the transformation of general secondary education in Ukraine and France, the role of the European integration processes in these transformations and prospects for further development of secondary education in Ukraine and France. The role of globalization, which affects all spheres of public life, including secondary education, has been revealed. The humanization of education, an integral part of the reform and democratization of public life, has been identified as an important trend in the development of general secondary education in Ukraine at the beginning of the 21st century. The shift of emphasis from the teacher's educational activity to educational and cognitive, labor, artistic, exploratory, research and other teacher’s activities in cooperation with a pupil has been noted. The article mentions the introduction of child-centeredness in teaching, i.e. orientation to the needs of a pupil. An important trend in the education of the 21st century is the tendency to continuity of education, the essence of which is constant deepening of general and professional training, the transformation of education into a process that lasts throughout life. Informatization of education is mentioned in the article as a global trend. The article reveals the features of the French secondary education. Modern tendencies in the French secondary education have been characterized, in particular an obligatory inclusion of a pupil into professional activity. The trend in French secondary education concerning the moral education of the French schoolchildren and division of the complex of moral education into four meaningful groups have been noted: the main categories of morality; public life and respect for others; thrifty attitude to the property of others, especially to the public property; self-esteem, etc. The extension of the period of compulsory education for schoolchildren under 18 in France has been emphasized.