School children in Ukraine Choose Future Professions

  • 14 years ago
"Photographer, teacher, singer, dancer, pilot, waiter, seamstress".

[Lubov Olyanitskaya, Teacher]:
"We have studied the topic of professions and played a relevant game, who knows how many professions there are. I did not even expect that the children would know so many professions."

In this class of Kyiv, Lyceum № 38, kids are accustomed to choosing a profession early, and it seems each of them has already made up his or her mind.

The class teacher invited children to write their professions on a piece of paper and glue it to the board. As seen, the choices of pupils are very diverse.

"I will teach dance."

"I want to be a seamstress."

"I want to become a pilot, a simple pilot, I will transport cargo."

"I want to become an inventor."

"I want to become an astronaut."

"I want to become a ballerina."

"I want to become a doctor."

None of the children says that he or she wants to become a lawyer or a judge.

But the statistics of the Lyceum are: one third of the graduates choose the legal profession and only 20% are going to study the technical and engineering sciences.

15 years ago, 3 times more children wanted to get technical jobs.

However, this problem is not only in Ukraine. Technical professions are becoming less popular worldwide.

To reverse this trend in the U.S., for example, specialists are working to create computer games that would develop children's interest in the sciences.

And in Japan they have introduced compulsory secondary technical education. Lyceum № 38 uses its own methods.

[Joseph Rivkind, Mathematics and Computer Science Teacher]:
"We invite our graduates, who are fairly well settled in life, and studied engineering".

Recently, the Ukrainian government has increased the state demand for training in engineering fields and high-tech professions.

But teachers in schools have yet to persuade their pupils to make the corresponding choice.

NTD, Kyiv, Ukraine.

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