2013 Часопис соціально-економічної географії випуск 14(1) Наукові повідомлення УДК 911.3 Lyudmyla Niemets, Kateryna Segida, Yuliia Yakovleva PECULIARITIES OF COUNTRYSIDE EDUCATIONAL COMPLEX IN DONETSK REGION The article deals with modern tendencies and territorial features of educational complex in the countryside of Donetsk Region. It specifies time dependent peculiarities (dynamics) of separate components of complex of education beginning with 2000, emphasizes head tendencies, and characterizes territorial peculiarities in the educational complex functioning of countryside based upon which determines problem issues of the branch development. Keywords: educational complex, countryside, social infrastructure, Donetsk Region. Людмила Нємець, Катерина Сегіда, Юлія Яковлєва. ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ОСВІТНЬОГО КОМЛЕКСУ СІЛЬСЬКОЇ МІСЦЕВОСТІ ДОНЕЦЬКОЇ ОБЛАСТІ. В статті розглянуто сучасні тенденції та територіальні особливості освітнього комплексу в сільській місцевості Донецької області. Визначено часові особливості окремих складових освітнього комплексу, починаючи із 2000 року, виокремлено головні тенденції та охарактеризовано територіальні особливості в функціонуванні освітнього комплексу саме і сільській місцевості, на основі чого, визначено проблемні моменти розвитку галузі. Ключові слова: освітній комплекс, сільська місцевість, соціальна інфраструктура, Донецька область. Людмила Немец, Екатерина Сегида, Юлия Яковлева. ОСОБЕННОСТИ КОМПЛЕКСА ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ СЕЛЬСКОЙ МЕСТНОСТИ ДОНЕЦКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ. В статье рассмотрены современные тенденции и территориальные особенности комплекса образования в сельской местности Донецкой области. Определены временные особенности (динамика) отдельных составляющих комплекса образования, начиная с 2000 года, выделены основные тенденции и охарактеризованы территориальные особенности в функционировании комплекса образования именно и сельской местности, на основе чего, определены проблемные моменты развития отрасли. Ключевые слова: комплекс образования, сельская местность, социальная инфраструктура, Донецкая область. Introduction. Donetsk Region is well-known as one of the most highly urbanized regions with exhaustive natural resources, great industrial enterprises, and other functional objects. Taking into account world trends of urbanization that every year propagate in advanced regions of Ukraine one cannot set aside the development of country in Donetsk Region that would contribute on the one hand in better development of the area with even distribution of loads there, and on the other hand in the increase of life standards and quality for its population. One of the most important conditions of stable social and economic development of countryside is functioning and progress with objects of social infrastructure. Today following the course of market economy in our country the basic direction shall include the growth of its social orientation and gradual re-orientation of economy towards satisfaction of population’s needs. Thus, quality changes are required in production forces and industrial relations providing the proper life standards and, as a consequence, intellectual enrichment and harmonious development of countryside people [3]. Social infrastructure shall play the role of satisfaction of general human needs related to life activity, living in countryside, support of appropriate conditions of labor, recreation, and culturaleducational level as well as the level and quality of life and material welfare that in general is the guarantee of well-being, prosperity, and progress of people as the main productive force of society, and its social security. In the framework of social restructuring in Ukraine education becomes the important factor of people’s advance and economic progress especially considering social orientation of the state development. _____________________________________ © Niemets L., Segida K., Yakovleva Y., 2013 51 In the years of Ukrainian independence they started reconstruction of system of education in order to increase its quality and accessibility. In this connection there appeared the need in effective social policy directed towards improvement of education level and quality for all people that could moderate any territorial inequality in rendering services for population, and providing qualified labor force for the state. The most important thing here is to investigate the regional level of educational complex differentiated depending on the place of residence. Presentation of main material. Donetsk Region is one of industrial centers of the country which consequence is its great urbanization and prevailing of large villages. However negative demographic processes on the 1990th resulted in reduction of pupils’ numbers while due to economic and political factors education decreased its level, characteristics, and conditions. There are following peculiarities of development of educational sphere in the countryside of Donetsk Region. 1. In preschool institutions and comprehensive schools there is reduction of the numbers of children. Such trend is typical not only for the countryside of Donetsk Region but for majority of regions in Ukraine that is associated with the range of economic, social, and other reasons. The lowest numbers of children in preschool institutions was fixed in 2008 and 2009 followed by slight growth of indices that could be partially explained by the increase of social payments per a child in previous years, and birth rate revival (Fig. 1). Now the numbers of pupils in comprehensive schools is getting shorter from year to year that in future can positively influence on the growth of the number of children in preschool institutions, and is connected with the increase of birth rate in the countryside (Fig. 2). 2013 Часопис соціально-економічної географії випуск 14(1) 2. Material and technologic conditions of educational institutions are imperfect. Old textbooks, oldfashioned material and technologic basis, content and methods of teaching do not correspond to actual re- quirements as for their quality in the modern world. Both present and future intellectual potential of educational sphere requires higher investments and improvement of financial support of educational branch [2]. Fig. 1. Dynamics of numbers of children in preschool institutions in the countryside of Donetsk Region in the period from 2000 to 2012 (based on data from [1, 4]) Fig. 2. Dynamics of numbers of children in comprehensive schools in the countryside of Donetsk Region (based on data from [1, 4]) 3. There occurs reduction of numbers in preschool and comprehensive institutions (Fig. 3 and 4), and their facilities. The great amount of countryside schools and kindergartens are located in unarranged or dangerous structures built in the first half of the XX century. Reduction of numbers of pupils leads to enlargement of forms and schools, small schools and kindergartens get closed while children are being transported to those institutions where conditions for study are more favorable [5]. In the period from 2000 to 2005 the number of preschool educational institutions reduced by 50 units (Fig. 3), and the dynamics of reduction was continuing till 2009 when in the Region there were 299 kindergartens followed by gradual increase of their number. In the recent years Government initiated the program of increase of the number of educational institutions, mainly kindergartens that allowed their number increase together with that of places in kindergartens. Today in the countryside there are 304 kindergartens. Though Government directed its efforts towards the growth of numbers of educational institutions they 52 have not covered comprehensive ones, and their number is gradually getting shorter due to the policy of schools’ merger (Fig. 4). Thus in 2000/2001 academic year the number of comprehensive schools in Donetsk Region was 426 while in 2005/2006 academic year their number got reduced by 27 comprising 399. The dynamics of reduction is continuing now and in the countryside of the Region today they have 379 units of schools. In the countryside schools they have no forms with advanced study of some disciplines like the English language, mathematics or literature that is connected with small numbers of pupils in the schools and the lack of parallel forms. 4. The number of specialized buses for children’s transportation is also insufficient. As in the recent years there is the merger of educational institutions the availability of transport is a quite important factor because with its absence pupils usually fail to reach a school, and parents cannot bring a child to a kindergarten. Recently in the Region they have got the program of “School Bus’ due to which a great proportion of countryside schools were given new buses. The Program financing was pro- 2013 Часопис соціально-економічної географії випуск 14(1) vided not only from governmental funds but from investors. 5. It is practically everywhere that they lack vocational training schools in countryside. Such educational institutions only work in Amvrosiyivka, Artemivsk, Ve- lyka Novosilka, Krasnoarmiisk, Maryanivka, Novoazovsk, Oleksandrivka, Starobesheve, and Telmanove Areas however their quantity not exceeding 2 units. In the countryside higher educational institutions do not exist at all [1, 4 and 5]. Fig. 3. Dynamics of numbers of preschool institutions in the countryside of Donetsk Region in the period from 2000 to 2012 (based on data from [1, 4]) Fig. 4. Dynamics of numbers of comprehensive educational institutions in the countryside of Donetsk Region in the period from 2000 to 2012 (based on data from [1, 4]) Fig. 5. Distribution of schools according to languages of teaching in the countryside in the period from 2000/2001 to 2011/2012 academic year (based in data from [1, 4]) 6. The qualification level of pedagogical personnel is not good enough. Deficit of teachers often happens in the countryside and a same educator can teach several disciplines including those beyond his or her profession. Low wages and social insecurity of teachers has negative influence upon the quality of education, do not allow appropriate teachers’ qualification maintenance, and 53 involvement of young higher school graduates in educational work. 7. The level of activities arranged for parents as well as that of consulting and educational work with them is low [2, 3]. Considering territorial peculiarities of education in Donetsk Region (Fig. 7) one could state that distribu- 2013 Часопис соціально-економічної географії випуск 14(1) tion of education institutions is quite uneven. The Northern part of the Region excluding Artemivsk Area with the Northern-Eastern and the Northern-Western part are characterized by the lowest indices of numbers of children per one preschool institution that is mainly connected with general low number of preschool children. In villages there often occurs the problem of the lack of material and technologic basis for development of places in kindergartens where in one unit they have just one or two groups for children of various age categories that does not allow paying them necessary attention. For example, the map clearly demonstrates that in Slovyansk, Kostyantynivka and Shakhtarsk Area the average numbers of children attending kindergartens is below 24 that is in the given Areas small kindergarten prevail including one or two groups. Fig. 6. Distribution of preschool educational institutions according to languages of teaching in the countryside of Donetsk Region in the period from 2000 to 2012 (based in data from [1, 4]) Fig. 7. Territorial distribution of indices of preschool education in 2012 (based on data from [1]) 54 2013 Часопис соціально-економічної географії випуск 14(1) Fig. 8. Territorial distribution of indices of secondary education in 2012 (based on data from [1]) In Southern and Central Areas of the Region the index comprises 55 and more persons. For example, in Starobesheve Area the number of kindergartens is 21, the number of children is 1,500, and, as the result, the average number of children per one kindergarten comprises 71 persons. For comparison, in Pershotravnevy Area the same index also comprises 71 persons but in the Area they have the lowest quantity of kindergartens all over the Region with the number of children being 500. Such low quantity of the preschool educational institutions can be explained by the small square of the Area while the average numbers of children compared with other Areas can be explained by its sea-shore position having influence upon the growth of population. The lowest numbers of pupils in countryside schools are detected in Kostyantynivka, Krasnoarmiisk, and Shakhtarsk Area. It is almost similar situation that is detected in territorial distribution of indices of average numbers of children studying at the same school (Fig. 8). Thus one can state that the both indices considered are under the influence of such factors as the number of population, square of an Area, its level of economic development, and percentage of age groups of people. As far as the Region is situated at the sea-shore and includes a seaport town such conditions provide a spur for development of social infrastructure of Southern Areas of the Region, especially in the seashore zone. Conclusions. In recent years stratification of society has become more evident that makes quality education less accessible for greater number of children. Poverty gets inherited while education with its uneven access and distribution to elite and ordinary institutions becomes a mechanism of reproduction of social inequality. There is a good deal of problems in the sphere of education requiring detailed social and geographic studies, disclosure of reasons and factors of their aggravation in order to develop measures for their solution. 1. 2. 3. References: Donetska oblast u 2012 roci: Statystychnyi schorichnyk / Za red. O.A. Zelenogo: Vidpovidalna za vypusk L.O. Mishyna. – Kh.: Holovne upravlinnia statystyky u Donetskiy oblasti, 2013. – 501 s. Yevdokimenko V.K. Socialna infrastruktura regionu: poshuky perspektyvnoho rozvytku / V.K. Yevdokimenko, U.Ya. Sadova, L.T. Shevchuk. – Chernivtsi: “Prut”, 2005. – 80 s. Nemets L.M. Pro osoblyvosti doslidzhennia socialnoyi infrastruktury silskoyi miscevosti Donetskoyi oblasti / L.M. Nemets, K.Yu. Segida, Yu.K. Yakovleva, O.V. Polevich // Region-2012: stratehiya optymalnoho rozvytku: 55 2013 Часопис соціально-економічної географії випуск 14(1) 4. 5. materialy naukovo-praktychnoyi konferenciyi z mizhnarodnoyu uchastyu (Kharkiv, 25 – 26 zhovtnya 2012 roku) Kh.: KhNU imeni V.N. Karazina, 2012. – ss. 221 – 225. Oficiynyi sait Holovnoho upravlinnyia statystyky v Donetskiy oblasti [Elektronnyi resurs]. – Rezhym dostupu: http://www.donetskstat.gov.ua Oficiynyi sait Donetskoyi oblasnoyi derzhavnoyi administracyii [Elektronnyi resurs]. – Rezhym dostupu: http://donoda.gov.ua/index Summary Lyudmyla Niemets, Kateryna Segida, Yuliia Yakovleva. PECULIARITIES OF COUNTRYSIDE EDUCATIONAL COMPLEX IN DONETSK REGION. One of the most important conditions of stable social and economic development of countryside is functioning and improvement of objects of social infrastructure. Social infrastructure plays the role of satisfaction of general human needs connected with life activity including those for guarantee of appropriate conditions of education accessibility and quality that is directed to level and quality increase for all citizens, and to moderation of territorial inequality in rendering educational services for population and providing the state with qualified labor force. Peculiarities of development of educational branch in the countryside of Donetsk Region include as follows: 1) reduction of numbers of children at preschool and comprehensive educational institutions; 2) imperfectness of material and technologic basis of educational institutions; 3) reduction of number of preschool and comprehensive educational institutions as well as numbers of places in them; 4) deficit of specialized buses for pupils transportation; 5) lack of vocational training schools in the countryside, they exist just in 10 Areas of the Region; 6) low qualification level of pedagogical personnel; 7) insufficient level of work with parents and organization of consulting and educational activities with them. Territorial peculiarities of development of educational complex in Donetsk Region demonstrate inequality in distribution and rendering educational services. The Northern part of the Region excluding Artemivsk Area with the Northern-Eastern and the Northern-Western part is characterized by the lowest indices of average numbers of children. The lowest numbers of pupils in countryside schools are detected in Kostyantynivka, Krasnoarmiisk, and Shakhtarsk Area. Thus one can state that the main factors of influence are the numbers of population, square of an Area, its level of economic development, and percentage of age groups of people. As far as the Region is situated at the sea-shore and has a seaport town such conditions provide a spur for development of social infrastructure of Southern Areas of the Region, especially in the seashore zone. Keywords: educational complex, countryside, social infrastructure, Donetsk Region. 56