COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE TWO-STAGE MODEL OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN ARMENIA AND POLAND
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE TWO-STAGE MODEL OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN ARMENIA AND POLAND
Susanna Alexander Harutyunyan
Postgraduate student, Yerevan State University,
Armenia, Yerevan
ABSTRACT
The article compares the two-stage model of higher education in Armenia and Poland, shows the similarities and differences in both countries.
Keywords: higher education; management system; educational systems; admission; assessment; financing
Education is an important factor in the formation of society. It is a process of personal development, self-assertion, in the course of which he acquires knowledge, skills and human qualities.
The purpose of the study is to study, compare, analyze the features, similarities and differences of the two-stage model of higher education in Armenia and Poland.
The novelty of the study is that for the first time an attempt was made to make a comparative analysis of the two-stage model of higher education in Armenia and Poland, to point out their similarities and differences.
The two-stage model of higher education in Armenia is managed at three levels: by the Government of Armenia, by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport and by higher education institutions.
The higher educational institutions of Armenia include universities, academies, institutes and a conservatory.
The educational systems of Armenia consist of state and non-state universities. There are 26 state and 33 non-state universities in the Republic of Armenia.
Non-state universities must have a licence authorizing educational activity and a certificate of state accreditation.
In the Republic of Armenia, there is a two-stage model of higher education with a credit system: Bachelor’s Degree (4 years), Specialist Diploma (5 years), master’s Degree (1-2 years) [3].
Admission to higher educational institutions in the Republic of Armenia is based on the results of centralized testing on the basis of a competition with a “Certificate of Maturity”.
Foreign students are accepted on a general basis or by interview. The school year in Armenia begins on 1 September. The main forms of education in the Republic of Armenia are full-time and correspondence, free of charge and paid.
In Armenia, curricula are compiled by universities, and ministries control the educational process, the quality of final exams, setting standards.
The ways of organizing education in Armenian universities are varied: through lectures, seminars, independent work.
The main thing is lectures. In Armenian universities, students must “attend lectures” and pass semester exams, and only after that move on to the next semester. In Armenian universities, an assessment system has been adopted from 20 to 100 points. In addition to the above scale, educational systems use the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).
In Armenia, the higher education system is financed from the state budget, but there are also funds, educational programs, individual investments and other off-budget funds.
In Armenia, state universities sign a contract with the student, tuition fees remain unchanged until graduation, non-state universities do not sign a contract, and tuition fees change every semester.
The system of higher education in Poland is regulated by the Main Council of Poland, the Senate, the Ministry of National Education and Sports [2].
Polish universities are generally accepted without entrance examinations, but prestigious universities such as the Jagiellonian University and the University of Warsaw conduct entrance examinations. Foreign applicants take a language test in advance. Admission twice a year, in autumn and spring.
Thus, candidates have two chances to enter the university. The school year in Poland is from 1 October to 1 March. The Polish educational systems consist of state and non-state universities. There are about 349 institutions of higher education in Poland, of which 209 are private. Non-state universities must have a licence authorizing educational activity and a certificate of state accreditation.
In the Republic of Poland, higher education takes place at two levels: bachelor’s degree (3 years) and master’s degree (2 additional years), with the exception of technical specialities, where for 4 (3,5) years it is possible to obtain the title of engineer [4].
The Polish system of higher education has "academic freedom". Attendance at lectures is not obligatory, only examinations are obligatory. In Poland, a student can be transferred to the next semester with academic debts, provided that he passes them during his studies in the next semester. A student can receive a diploma only after passing the exams.
The ways of organizing education in Polish universities are varied: through lectures, seminars, independent work.The main thing is lectures. In Poland, the grading system is five-point. In addition to the above scale, educational systems use the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).
In Poland, curricula are compiled by universities, and ministries control the educational process, the quality of final exams, setting standards.
Higher education in Poland is financed exclusively from the state budget [2]. Poland also has extra-budgetary funds, which are formed from the tuition fees of paid students, the rental of buildings and other works.
Polish universities do not increase tuition fees during their studies. The university enters into a contract with the student and the tuition fee remains unchanged throughout the entire study.
In Poland there are full-time, correspondence, evening and external forms of education. In Poland higher education is free and paid.
Conclusion. Comparison of educational systems in the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Poland leads to the following conclusions:
1. Control over the activities of universities in the Republic of Armenia is carried out by the Government of the Republic of Armenia, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia and higher education institutions, and in the Republic of Poland, the Main Council of Poland, the Senate, the Ministry of National Education and Sports. They control the educational process, the quality of final exams.
2. Institutions of higher education include: in the Republic of Armenia - universities, academies, institutes, a conservatory, and in the Republic of Poland - a university, a specialized university, colleges.
3. Both republics have a two-stage model of higher education: in the Republic of Armenia - bachelor (4 years), specialist with higher education (4-5 years), master (1-2 years), and in the Republic of Poland - licentiate (3-3, 5 years) and master (2–2.5 years).
4. In the education systems of the two countries, there are state and non-state universities. Both Armenia and Poland are dominated by non-state universities.
5. In both Republics, there are full-time, correspondence forms of higher education. Unlike Armenia, in Poland there are also evening and external forms of education.
6. Admission to Higher Education Institutions of the Republic of Armenia is carried out on the basis of the results of centralized testing in the presence of a "Certificate of Maturity". In the Republic of Poland, a “Certificate of Maturity” is also required, but admission depends on the university (exams, certificates, tests, interviews, anyone who wants). In Poland, admission to higher education is usually without entrance exams. Admission to universities in Armenia takes place once a year in the summer and twice a year in Poland in the autumn and spring.
7. In Armenia, curricula are made up of universities. In Poland, the curricula are also made up of universities. In the Polish system of higher education there is “academic freedom”. Attending lectures is not obligatory, only passing exams is obligatory, and in Armenian universities it is obligatory to attend lectures and pass exams.
8. The European System of Credit Accumulation and Transfer is used in the educational systems of both countries.
9. In Armenia, state universities sign a contract with a student, and tuition fee remains unchanged until until graduation. Polish universities also do not increase tuition fees during their studies.
10. The evaluation of higher education systems in the two countries differs. In Armenia, a 20-100-point system is adopted, and in Poland - a 5-point system.
Thus, the main purpose and objectives of management reforms in the higher education systems of the two countries is to bring the level of education into line with international standards, improve it and integrate it into the process of international educational activities.
References:
- Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Higher and Postgraduate Professional Education” (dated January 18, 2005 No. ЗР-62)
- http://charko.narod.ru › tekst Educational system of the Republic of Poland (date of application: 19.03.2021).
- https://escs.am › higher-education
- https://isttravel.ru › ... Polish education system (date of call: 19.03.2021).