Abstract:

The relevance of the study is related to the importance and necessity of development of the higher education quality assurance system.
The article continues the scientific discussion on the importance of presenting the priorities of the national educational policy of Ukraine in the field of higher education quality assurance.

Purpose and methods of research:
The purpose of the article is to substantiate the stages of transformation of higher education quality assurance system of Ukraine.

The task of the study is to analyze and group the existing legal documents on the higher education quality assurance; to distinguish and substantiate the stages of transformation of the higher education quality assurance system of Ukraine.

Achievement of the research goal made it possible to use general theoretical methods: comparative analysis, systematization and generalization for distinguishing stages of transformation of the higher education quality assurance system; structural-logical analysis and systematization – in order to characterize and group legislative and regulatory documents; empirical methods: questionary for academic stuff of higher education institutions regarding creation of a higher education quality assurance system of Ukraine.

Results of work and key conclusions:
On the basis of structural and logical analysis and systematization, the current laws of Ukraine and subordinate legal acts were grouped according to the principle of law supremacy and chronological principle into such groups: normative-legal regulation of state supervision in the field of higher education, state tools of influence on the content and quality of the higher education, accreditation as one of the ways to ensure quality of the higher education.

Stages of transformation of the higher education quality assurance system of Ukraine were identified and grounded: the first stage (1991-1999 years) included institutional structuring of the national higher education quality assurance system; the second stage (1999-2010) included declaration, agreement and enactment of normative documents of Ukraine on higher education quality ensuring with the principles and fundamental ideas of the Bologna process. The third stage (2010-2014) was official and forming one, which envisaged the organizational and normative registration of joining of Ukraine to the Bologna Process. Since 2014 the fourth integrative stage of transformation of the higher education quality assurance system continues, this stage involves the development of external and internal higher education quality assurance systems. Based on the survey conducted by academic and pedagogical staff of the higher educational institutions of Ukraine, indicators on creation of the higher education quality assurance system of Ukraine, on the basis of the European standards and recommendations, have been specified.

Scientific novelty:
The author's periodization of transformation of the higher education quality assurance system of Ukraine is proposed and grounded.

Keywords:

Higher education quality, legal statutory regulation, accreditation, National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance, national educational policy, quality control.