Comparison of school education on the subject of geography in Poland and Ukraine

The purpose of the study is an explore the role and place of Geography education in schools in Ukraine, as well as to compare how Geography is taught in schools in Ukraine and Poland. First, the study provides a comparative analysis of the school curricula and the legal bases that regulate education in the two countries. Then it compares the goals and contents of Geography curriculum at different stages of education, from elementary to high school. The results of the comparative analysis indicate that these two systems differ. Compared to Poland, in Ukraine the duration of studies in elementary school is shorter by two years, while it is longer by two years in middle school. The duration of studies at the high school level is also different. The underlying legal systems also differ. For instance, the curriculum used in Ukraine tends to be remarkably more detailed, although there is a considerable overlap in the curriculum content in the two countries. The most notable differences were observed in how textbooks are made available to the students: in Ukraine, the Ministry of Education provides textbooks free of charge, ensuring that the secondary education is basically free.