The opposition bloc demands that the Verkhovna Rada restore funding for vocational education in the coming plenary week.
"The presidential veto on the laws of February 4 takes away the possibility of survival of vocational schools. A reform is necessary that will allow secondary professional education to survive in modern conditions. Prior to its implementation, VET funding must be restored at the level of 2015," the message reads.
It is reported that after the government's decision to transfer VET funding from local budgets, since January 1, 78 vocational schools in 14 regions have not received any money. "The entire industry is under threat - more than 800 institutions, more than 300,000 students," the party's statement emphasizes.
It is noted that such a decision led to the closure of 83 children's and youth sports schools a year ago.
As you know, on February 4, the parliament decided to allocate 998 million hryvnias for the needs of VET. However, President Petro Poroshenko promised this law.
"Due to the ill-conceived policy of the government, by 2016, the number of vocational schools decreased from 1,246 to 814, the number of students - from 643 to 315,000," the report says.
In Opobloka, they are advocating the reform of VET, orienting them to meet the needs of the labor market. "For the period until the reform of the professional education system is completed, its funding should be kept at a level no lower than the previous one," the party's statement reads.
We will remind you that teachers blocked Hrushevskyi Street in Kyiv with the demand to return the funding of VET from the state budget. The protesters claimed that the new 2016 budget threatens to destroy the vocational education and training (VET) system.