Investments in Education and the Question of Guaranteeing Its Quality: The Educological Aspects

Abstract

The article is devoted to one of the important components of educology – the economics of education, which studies the demand for education, its financing and provision; as well as the problem of the economic efficiency of investments in people and in the development of human capital. The author investigates budget expenditures in the countries of the world on education, finds out how much of the country’s total budget is spent on education as a whole, including in Ukraine, and also tries to find out whether there is a regularity or relationship between the amount of investment in education and its quality. The article emphasizes that financing education is a priority area in the context of the development strategy of the European Union, because investments in education, vocational training, lifelong learning ensure the development of human capital to increase employment opportunities, active citizenship and social cohesion, in particular, contribute to the fight with marginalization and youth unemployment. The author analyzed a large volume of statistical data on education financing in Europe and Ukraine, revealed general trends of this process and differences. Analysis of statistical European reports by Eurostat and Eurydice in recent years shows that the level of public spending on education in EU member states has hardly changed. However, there are still significant differences between countries in the financing of education. In addition, the author identifies certain disproportions in the financing of education in Ukraine, which affect the final result and the quality of education. The need to optimize the network of higher education institutions in Ukraine and the distribution of state budget expenditures among them, taking into account the results of educational activities, is emphasized.