DECENTRALIZATION RISKS FOR THE FINANCING OF EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The issue of decentralization of power and the creation of united territorial communities are nowadays the most talked about in the media as well as among scholars and practitioners. In the course of the reform implementation, the united territorial communities were given new powers, but with them, the old, old years had not been resolved. For the most part, the reluctance to take responsibility and the disillusionment with the successful implementation of reforms hinder the processes of decentralization and cause rejection both by the "old" authorities and by the population. Problems are gaps in the legislative support to address a number of urgent issues, lack of management experience at both local and national levels. Thus, reform is often based on trial and error. The creation of united territorial communities should launch a new paradigm in governance not only at the local level, but also in the state as a whole, which should ultimately be the basis for a tangible improvement in the quality of life of the population. The article discusses the theoretical principles of decentralization in Ukraine and decentralization in education, in particular, the legal framework for the implementation of major reform in recent years. The conceptual bases of reformation in education and state educational policy, the basis of democratization of management of educational establishments are defined. The interim results and the success of the implementation of the reform were evaluated by quantitative (number of communities formed) and qualitative (financial capacity of communities) indicators. The coherence of the implementation of the legislation on creation of able united communities and a network of educational support institutions is analyzed. The financial capacity of the united territorial communities for the maintenance and development of the educational sphere has been calculated, as well as the comparison of the planned financing of the education sector in the regional and state budgets. Critical situations that have already arisen in the process of decentralization of education, as well as their causes and consequences are considered. The risks of decentralization in the process of diversification of financing or capacity building of educational institutions in the united communities are outlined.