Regulatory and Legal Support for the Reform of General Secondary Education in France and Ukraine (1991–2021)

The article deals with the regulatory and legal support for the reform of general secondary education in France and Ukraine in 1991–2021. The stages of formation of the national educational system of Ukraine have been highlighted. The article says that the Ukrainian national education system has mostly preserved the progressive achievements and traditions of the past, having become more relevant to new social relations and having accumulated innovative potential for further development. The author admits that since the adoption of the laws on education and scientific and scientific-technical activity in 1991, this period of the national educational self-identification ended with the final disintegration of the Ukrainian education with the post-Soviet educational space, the creation of a comprehensive set of national educational legislation, and the adoption of the National Doctrine of Education Development for the Future. The period since 2014 has been characterized as a period of comprehensive modernization of the educational and scientific sphere. The stages of development of the state policy in the field of education have been distinguished and characterized: the first stage (1989–1995); the second stage (1996–1998); the third stage (1998–2001). The formation of methodological foundations of the national educational policy based on national priorities and the new socio-economic context during the years of independence has been noted. As an important achievement for all levels of education in Ukraine, the formation of a coherent legislative framework has been indicated – the approval of the Laws of Ukraine "On Education" (1991), "On Vocational and Technical Education" (1998), "On General Secondary Education" (1999), "On Extracurricular education" (2000), "About higher education" (2002). It has been noted that the first wave of reforms in the Ukrainian education was associated with the formation of a new democratically-based education system, de-ideologization of the content of education and its providing with national specificity. The article examines in chronological order the main laws and regulations related to secondary education in France during 1991–2021: Law on Equal Rights and Opportunities, Participation and Citizenship of the Disabled dated February 11, 2005; Law on the Management and Planning of Educational Programs No. 2005-380 dated April 23, 2005 for the future of schools; Decree No. 2005–1145 dated September 9, 2005; Decree No. 2005–1178 dated September 13, 2005; Decree No. 2006-830 dated July 2006; Law on Management and Restructuring of Schools No. 2013-595 dated July 8, 2013. Modern trends in the field of French secondary education have been characterized: mandatory involvement of students in professional activities and obtaining a bachelor’s degree by the largest number of lyceum students, which is supported by legislation at the national level.