In October, the Education for Democracy in Ukraine Project research group completed their work on the Draft Framework of Education for Democracy. Educators could read this document in the October issue of the Project newsletter and later - in the education press (Education in Ukraine, 2000, #46; Pedagogical Newspaper, 2000, #11; History in the Schools of Ukraine, 2001, #1) and in the newsletter of the Kharkiv Human Rights Advocacy Group.

The framework was the subject of discussion that had the objective not only to reveal the document's strong and weak points, but also to determine perspectives and concrete ways of citizenship education institutionalisation in Ukraine.

Problems of forming a citizen of a democratic state were the focus of attention for the participants of several scientific and educational forums: All-Ukrainian scientific and methodological conference "Citizenship Education: Problems of Theory and Practice" (Mykolayiv, 26-27 September, 2000), All-Ukrainian conference "Teachers of Ukraine - for Citizenship Education" (Donetsk, 16-18 October, 2000), conference "The First Steps Towards Action" organised by the American Council for International Education (Kyiv, 2-3 November, 2000), conference for education officials on the basis of the Central In-Service Teacher Training Institute (Kyiv, 28 November, 2000), conference "Political Psychology and Its Role in Forming a Citizen of the Ukrainian State" (Institute for Social and Political Psychology of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, 19-20 December, 2000). Participants of the Education for Democracy in Ukraine Project organised a number of regional workshops and round tables for teachers and methodologists of the social-humanities subjects (Brovary, Nizhyn, Bila Tserkva, Poltava, Kyiv, Simferopol, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv).

In the process of its discussion, the framework was recognised as topical and long-waited in the current situation in Ukraine. Its main ideas are in tune with the tendencies of educational reform in this country and the global educational processes. The framework reasonably makes emphasis: the educational component is subordinated to the upbringing one; points out the effectiveness of citizenship education only on condition of its aiming at positive social actions, youth's acquiring the practical experience of democratic behaviour, taking into account general cultural context. Participants of the discussion recognised the urgent need for adequate information and methodological provision of citizenship education in Ukraine (writing of textbooks, creation of resource centres). Primary attention should be given to the problem of forming teacher's democratic attitude, of his/her mastering the interactive teaching methods. This requires the development of a complex programme on training and re-training the teaching staff for citizenship education. In this connection worth of support is the initiative of introducing citizenship education courses for humanities students of the National University "Kyiv-Mohila Academy" and Nizhyn M. Gogol State Pedagogical University.

Beside the Ukrainian educators' general support of the idea and conceptual principles of citizenship education, the all-nation discussion revealed a number of critical remarks to the document. For instance, it was mentioned that it should be specified to whom the framework is addressed, e. i. its addressee; the framework does not describe quite clearly the current situation in Ukraine and the school objectives resulting from it; too much attention is paid to the component of knowledge and not enough to the creative activity component. The framework text seems too large, rather overloaded with theory and full of details. There were propositions to develop the theses on changing approaches to the assessment of pupils' educational achievements, on work with parents, the specific character of extra-curricular activities under current conditions. Publication of the Draft Framework of Education for Democracy after the discussion of the APS Framework of Civic Upbringing in Ukraine brought about the educators' suggestion that pedagogical press feature the comments of the Ministry of Education and Science and the APS to the Draft Framework

Results of the discussion are reflected in the January issue of the APS of Ukraine journal Shlyakh Osvity (The Path of Education) and on the Project's web site www.edu-democracy.org.ua where the revised text of the framework can be found.

Participants of the Education for Democracy in Ukraine Project would like to thank all those who participated in the discussion and invite for a dialogue and co-operation all educators who work in the field of citizenship education and are interested in reformation of social-humanities disciplines teaching, implementation of contemporary teaching methods, democratisation of school life.

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