Vasyl Sukhomlynsky’s Pedagogical Ideas: From the Pavlysh School to the New Ukrainian School

Abstract

The article attempts to analyze the fundamental principles of Vasyl Sukhomlynsky’s educational work concerning the purpose, content, specific aspects of the Pavlysh School elementary education organization and to compare them with the changes taking place in the modern Ukrainian elementary school system. The ideas of the teacher’s and pupil’s creative potential development, the use of innovative techniques and technologies, the creation of educational and developmental environment, which were incorporated by Sukhomlynsky and now form the basis of the New Ukrainian School Concept, are highly important for educational reforms. First of all, the article analyzes the influence of the Sukhomlynsky’s leading idea – person-oriented pedagogy – on the formation of child-centered pedagogy in the development of the new Ukrainian school. The comparative analysis has been carried out, which examines the goal and general approaches to the learning process organization, which were developed and implemented in the Pavlysh School learning process by Sukhomlynsky and then to the new Ukrainian school, and has showed their further development in modern ideas of elementary education. The article also proves that Sukhomlynsky’s ideas were way ahead of their time, and that the Ukrainian school reforming process is based on the best traditions of national pedagogy and education.