State final certification of gymnasium graduates under quarantine restrictions of the educational process

The article substantiates the possibility and feasibility of introducing various organizational models in Ukraine for the state final certification of graduates of a basic secondary school (gymnasium) in the context of quarantine caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. An analysis of the results of research carried out by international organizations made it possible to identify the most typical problems for European countries in the implementation of the educational process in conditions of quarantine and to focus on domestic features. The available possibilities of participants in the educational process and the system of general secondary education for the use of the remote form of drawing up the state final certification are analyzed. The key factors influencing the effectiveness of the implementation of the remote format of the state final certification of applicants for education are highlighted and substantiated: technical provision of students and teachers with computers and other digital gadgets; availability of access to high-quality Internet and the formation of the required level of digital competence. A SWOT analysis of organizational models of state final certification and an expert assessment of the importance of strong and weak factors and the advantages and threats of the environment were carried out. It was found that the main difficulties in the implementation of these models are: the possibility of violation of equality of access to education for less competitive children, an increase in the cost of organizing and conducting exams, the instability of the epidemiological situation in the region, the difficulty of ensuring a safe environment during exams, the likelihood of technical failures during broadcasting tasks, insufficient digital competence of applicants for education and legal unresolved issues. It is substantiated that, for objective reasons, none of the organizational models is capable of ensuring high reliability of the results of passing the state final certification, is not universal and can be extended to all institutions of general secondary education without exception and to the entire territory of Ukraine. The most expedient is the formation of various combinations of these models at the discretion of local authorities, based on the existing epidemiological situation at the time of their implementation in a particular district or region. Recommendations have been formulated regarding the possibilities of spreading in the future remote forms of state final certification in the system of general secondary education in Ukraine, taking into account the identified shortcomings and possible threats to their implementation.