NATIONAL AND CIVIC EDUCATION IN THE STATE-BUILDING POLICY OF THE CENTRAL RADA

Abstract

The article analyzes the ideological foundations of civic education in the Ukrainian People’s Republic (UPR), the reform of the education system, and the creation of conditions for civic education. The practical implementation of civic education through school self-government and the democratization of the educational process is demonstrated. Civic education in the educational policy of the UPR in 1917–1918 was an important component of the state-building process. Through reforming the structure of schools, introducing self-government, activating extracurricular education, and developing pedagogical thought, the UPR government sought to educate a new generation of citizens – moral, responsible, and patriotic – capable of consciously participating in the development of a democratic and independent Ukraine. In practical terms, this involved the creation of new types of schools, the development of curricula, the introduction of principles of self-government, the democratization of educational administration, and support for extracurricular initiatives as well as cultural and educational organizations. The educational policy of the UPR laid the foundations of a national-democratic model of education based on the unity of intellectual, moral, and civic development. The practical implementation of civic education in the educational policy of the UPR in 1917–1920 became the first attempt to establish a national education system grounded in democratic, humanistic, and national principles. Despite the short period of the state’s existence, these ideas had a long-term influence on Ukrainian pedagogy and remain relevant in the contemporary discourse on civic education. The concept of educating a citizen as a morally free and socially active individual later became the basis for Ukrainian pedagogical programs during the restoration of statehood in the 1990s and continues to be relevant today.