Today the problem of public administration in Ukraine exists not only in education. But education is a basic industry that lays the foundations for the state economic development in the future. It is especially important to initiate education reform precisely because of changes in the governance system. The article describes the results of studies of the historical and structural aspects of the system of public administration, which have formed in Ukraine over the last 100 years. Now Ukrainian scientists are just beginning to explore this topic.Scientists have fundamentally justified the classical approach to education public administration. Researchers in public administration viewed it as a process of planning, organizing, motivating and controlling. Classical public administration has shaped specific goals of the education sector. Then it worked on the problems of achieving the set goals. The modern world and society require changes in the relationship between the state and the education system. This is reflected in state educational doctrines, legislation, state educational standards.The article reveals the need for changes in the context of the world tendencies of reforming the education sector, examples of changing approaches to public administration in the leading countries of the world are given. Ukraine has a crisis in the educational sector. In recent decades, funding in education has decreased; Reduced teacher pay; poor logistical support for schools; bureaucratization of the education management system; outdated content of education and teaching methods. In 2017 began the process of modernization of the general secondary education system. The Reform NUS has touched many areas of education, including governance. Modern society requires that the education state administration to replace the control function with the regulatory one. The Intelligent governance should take the utmost account of the interests and needs of different social groups.The author describes the first steps of the reform of the board of education in Ukraine and perspective trends. Education public administration in the modern world acquires characteristic signs of dependence on socio-political, economic processes, and therefore requires new approaches to the scientific research of its essence.