About the Faculty of Preschool Education

The history of the Faculty of Preschool Education of H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University is inextricably linked to the establishment of the Kharkiv Higher Women's Courses, which opened on March 8, 1907.

In 1919, the Kharkiv Higher Women's Courses were transformed into the Higher Three-Year Pedagogical Courses, later to the "Academy of Theoretical Knowledge" as part of the Social Sciences Institute. And in 1921, the Academy of Theoretical Knowledge was re-orientated to the Kharkiv Institute of Public Education, and here, at the Faculty of Social Education (pre-school department), training of educators, as well as workers of social education, including tutors of orphanages and kindergartens was conducted.

Since 1941, during World War, representatives of science and higher education, professors, teachers, personnel and students stood in front of the new and complex challenges, difficulties and serious ordeal (evacuation to Samarkand Teacher Training Institute).

After the liberation of Kharkiv, on October 18, 1943 the Pedagogical Institute returned after the evacuation and announced the recruitment, including recruitment to the preschool faculty. The increasing demand for high-quality preschool education specialists lead to establishment of distance learning department (1948).

The fifties were marked by significant changes for the preschool faculty. In 1952 the Evening Branch was reorganized into the Evening Faculty. The preschool faculty was no exception. Since next year, there has been a tendency to gradually curtail the activities of the Institute. Students graduated from preschool faculty teaching in absentia.

In 1962 the enrollment in the preschool faculty with the evening form of education was renewed, and a year later the enrollment in long-distance form of study was also renewed. In the early 70's the faculty was closed. The tutors were trained at the pedagogical faculty at this time. As an independent, it resumed its activity only in 1992. Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences (then Candidate of Sciences), Professor Tatiana Petrivna Tanko was appointed to the post of Dean in the same year. She is still the caretaker of the faculty.

Today the Faculty of Preschool Education of H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University is involved in the development of the largest national and regional projects in the field of early childhood education. Faculty members participate in the development of programs and projects: program for children "We Are Together" in conjunction with the Center for Youth and Family of Kharkiv Regional State Administration (curated by Assoc. Prof. Shut M.M.); a program for teachers, students and educators of pre-school educational institutions “Game technologies in socio-cultural projects and activities” and “Create yourself - create others”; “Volunteer School” (curated by Assoc. Prof. Shut M.M.); the project “School of Inclusive Volunteering” within the framework of the city competition of student projects “Kharkiv is the city of youth initiatives” in the nomination “Kharkiv is open, creative, tolerant city” (curated by Prof. Tanko T.P.); the Toy Museum project (curated by Prof. Tanko T.P., Prof. Peretyaga L.E.); project “Development of Civic Education in Ukrainian Secondary Schools through Development and Piloting of Special Courses and Modules" of NGO "Integration and Development" Information and Research Center, which is implemented within the framework of the project “Program for promoting public activity "Get involved!” that is funded by the USA Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented Pact in Ukraine (curated by Prof. Yuryeva K.A.).

There is a scientific and methodological laboratory of civic and intercultural education at the faculty (led by Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor Yuryeva K.A.), as well as student scientific circles: "Museum Pedagogy" (led by Assoc. Prof. Korduban M.V.), "Music Therapy for Preschoolers: History and Modernity" (led by Assoc. Prof. Bakay S.Y.), "Psychology of abilities and creativity of preschool children: practical workshop" (led by Assoc. Prof. O.E. Malikhina), "Healthy Generation" (led by Assoc. Prof. Tsymbalyuk J.O.). There is also the creative laboratory "Inspiration" (led by Assoc. Prof. Shevchenko N.O.).

Faculty personnel are members of the public organization "All-Ukrainian Association by Vasyl Sukhomlinsky", take part in international forums, conferences, symposia and seminars.

Teachers, students of the faculty carry out extensive research work, develop scientific schools, experimental platforms in Kharkiv, Kharkiv region, other cities and regions of Ukraine, conduct joint researches. Students are actively involved in the scientific work; their works occupy the prize-winning places at the All-Ukrainian Student Olympiads on Preschool Education, at the All-Ukrainian Competitions of Scientific Student Works.

Training of pre-school specialists at the Faculty of Preschool Education is carried out in accordance with the present related to the operation of alternative children educational establishments in the state: art and aesthetic, musical, visual, with the deepening of intellectual development, humanitarian education and advanced study of foreign languages.

The faculty has a collective of teachers who have highly qualified theoretical and practical training, experience of scientific and pedagogical work, which allows to direct the efforts at the development of new, non-traditional methods of working with students, the development of educational disciplines programs and regional programs of pre-school education.