Educational Priorities of Girls From Rural Areas Entering Classical Universities in Big Cities: A Case Study of Ukraine

Abstract

The article highlights the research related to the accessibility of higher education for different population groups. Based on Ivan Franko University of Lviv, the number and ratio of rural to urban girls who entered the bachelor’s program over the past four years, their choice of specialty, factors that influenced such a choice, the geography of entrants, etc., have been analysed. It has been established that a wide range of specialties and a state educational policy of Ukraine in general provide girls from rural areas with access to higher education. However, girls from the countryside, due to low financial capabilities of their families, are more focused on specialties where there is an opportunity for free education. Compared to urban girls, rural girls have access to a narrower list of specialties because they often receive secondary education of lower quality. An important problem in Ukraine is inaccessibility of higher quality education to young people from depressed villages, which creates spatial inequality and injustice.