The digital economy is a new, quite fast developing, social and economic phenomenon. The economic theory lags significantly behind the dynamics of this phenomenon. Until now, the term digital economy has been understood by analytical and empirical specialists as various phenomena and processes. In this article, we propose a new approach to defining the essence of the digital economy. Thus, we analyse available definitions of the term digital economy based mainly on the sectoral approach. Here arise problematic issues when using this approach to the definition of the digital economy. Besides, we make a distinction between the terms the digital economy and the digital sector of economy, as well as a criterion to distinguish the digital and non-digital economy. We pay much attention to new approaches to defining the digital economy. Some researchers based the research and the definition, taking into account the impact of a man as an operator of production processes acting on objects and instruments. On the contrary, in this article we define the digital economy as an economic activity of people focusing on a feature that the impact of a person as a manufacturer of products is not on objects of labour and instruments but management systems of such instruments. So, the non-digital economy is characterised by the impact of a person on objects or instruments. Firstly, the digital sector of the economy is production where a person influences the systems of instrument management. Secondly, the development and design of new systems of instrument management. Results of theoretical studies of the essence of the digital economy have essential applications. First of all, it concerns the issues of state policy development in the digital economy.

Community participation in management helps to improve the quality of planning of educational work in order to meet people’s needs better and allows the organization of efficient monitoring of the quality of knowledge and skills of school students by consumers. The purpose of this article is to study current modes of community participation in school education management abroad and to analyze their possible implementation in the Russian environment. Methodologically, the modes of community participation have been studied at all levels of education management: national, regional, and institutional. Different modes of community participation in the educational process management are regarded as an element of an integral system. Based on results of the conducted analysis it has been concluded that, to enhance the management system in general education in Russia, the use of certain foreign practices seems to be reasonable, provided that they are tailored to the Russian system. The methods of involvement of independent experts and organizations in the implementation of certain functions of the State in the field of school education are of interest. Moreover, there can be used various modes of community participation in the quality of education monitoring in schools. The implementation of such practice in the Russian system of school education management will help to enhance the quality of school education.

The Russian educational system today is undergoing a process of deep, systemic reformation. This process is expressed in a rethinking of the essence, aims, objectives, and strategic attitudes of the educational system. The state policy in the field of education considers the general trends of world development, which determine the need for significant changes in the educational sphere at the present stage. The condition of the educational system and the prospects for its development in any legal state are primarily determined by the legislation on education. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to present the analysis of domestic legislation. which regulates the vocational education. Nowadays, great interest among researchers is shown to the Soviet experience of the development of the educational system. Turning to this experience makes it possible to avoid the mistakes of the past, to equalize existing contradictions and to choose the most productive way to develop the system of vocational and technical education in our days.  

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