Drach O. Development of Primary Education in Ukraine (1861-1917)

The object of study - cultural-educational processes in Ukraine in 1861-1917, their basic tendencies and historical meaning. The purpose of study - objectively to analyse experience of reforming and development of system of primary education in Ukraine in the period with 1861 on 1917, comprehensively to study, to generalise and to illuminate the basic tendencies and most typical features of activity of the Ukrainian primary school. The historic-analytical, comparative-historical, problem-chronological, the statistical formal- quantitative analysis methods have been used. The thesis is the first attempt of investigation of the development of primary education in Ukraine in 1861 - 1917. The work analyses the process of establishment and development of primary schools, shows the main achievements and obstacles in this sphere of activity. In the work concrete facts confirm the dynamics of increasing the number of primary educational establishments and the number of pupils in them. The thesis demonstrates the social status of people's teachers and activities of the community in strengthening primary schools network. There is given a detailed analysis of educational curricula and programmes of people's specialised schools and their realisation at the Ukrainian primary schools. The thesis also contends that primary education in Ukraine was established due to the efforts of public initiative with the active participation of the citizens.