PHYSICAL EDUCATION OF STUDENTS OF HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF UKRAINE IN THE CIRCUMSTANCE OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION. PROBLEMS AND POSSIBILITIES OPPORTUNITIES

Introduction. Many problems related to the arrangement of the educational process on physical education of students of Ukrainian higher educational institutions require an elaborate study due to integration of Ukraine into the European Higher Education Area in recent years. There are questions about the place and amount of teaching of the discipline «Physical education» in the national education system and students' independent work and classes in sports sections and the optional form of training in physical education, etc. Purpose. To determine the role, place and meaning of the physical education of students of higher educational institutions of Ukraine in conditions of European integration educational processes. Results. The normative documents specify the inclusion of compulsory physical education courses in curricula of all specialties in the amount of four hours per week during the whole period of study, except for the last graduation semester. Nowadays this discipline is a part of the curricula only in the first-second courses at most universities. Workload of the discipline «Physical education» was reduced to 2 hours per week in the curriculum. They refer to the heavy student's workload. And they also refer to the fact that there is no the discipline of «Physical education» in the curricula of developed countries. But one lesson of physical education a week is not appropriate as it cannot provide the accomplishment of health and educational functions. In addition, the researches of specialists have shown that physical education classes should be considered as a way of recovery and stimulation of student mental activity, and not as an additional academic workload. Also, implementation of to independent and elective physical education classes, as is the case of Europe and the United States, is unjustified and premature today. The low level of consciousness and motivation of students, their careless attitude to their own health, low physical fitness of most students are the reasons for it. Students should be trained in special medical groups because of their illness. The need for occupational retraining teaching staff, the weak material and technical base, which is not able to meet the individual wishes of students for exercising in their spare time, are also the reasons for it. Originality. Results of an analytical study are important. They prove the need for an immediate solution to the problem of reducing physical education for students in universities. And also, strengthening their motivation, creating a powerful material and technical base of higher education institutions. Conclusion. Physical education, as an academic discipline, should be compulsory for students of all specialties of higher educational institutions, because the material and technical base of most HEIs in Ukraine does not meet the qualitative and quantitative requirements for the transfer students to the optional (sectional) form of studies till now. In addition, students have a weak motivation to work independently on physical education. Consequently, it is necessary to develop the material and technical base of higher educational institutions of Ukraine, to carry out occupational retraining teaching staff, to develop and implement innovative pedagogical technologies in the educational and training process in order to preserve and strengthen the health of student youth. Sectional work chosen by the student should gradually expand, as it has been implemented in developed world and European countries.