Implementation of author concept of I.O. Sikorsky in the activities of the Kiev Froebel pedagogical institute (1907-1920)

Ключові слова: І.О. Сікорський, авторська концепція, Київський Фребелівський педагогічний інститут, виховання, особистість, професійно-педагогічна підготовка.

Formulation of the problem. Ukraine has a valuable historical experience in setting up the institutions of higher education, the effectiveness of which has been tested by time. The Kiev Froebel Pedagogical Institute (1907-1920) is considered unique in terms of meaning, content and forms of activity. I.O. Sikorsky was its first and long time unchanged rector, a doctor of medicine, a well-known psychologist, a teacher, a professor at the University of St. Volodymyr, chairman of the Kiev Froebel Society of the Promotion of Education. His author medical-psychological-pedagogical concept, in coordination with the pedagogical system of the famous German educator F. Froebel, became the basis for the training of European-level pedagogical staff.

Study presentation. Ivan Sikorsky was born in the An- tonove village of Skvirsky district of Kiev province in May 24, 1842. He gained primary education in theological school, continued studying in the seminary. In 1862 he externally passed the exam at the Kiev First Gymnasium and entered the University of St. Volodymyr. After listening to two courses in the natural department, he moved to the medical faculty, which graduated in 1869. In 1872 he defended his thesis for a doctor of medicine. In the same year he movedto St. Petersburg, where he was appointed intern, and later he was private associate professor of the clinic of mental and nervous diseases at the Military Medical Academy. In 1885 he returned to Kyiv in connection with the appointment of a professor at the Department of Psychic and Nervous Diseases of the University of St. Volodymyr, where he taught for 26 years [4, p. 151-152].

I.O. Sikorsky gained popularity as a practicing doctor, a public figure, a gifted pedagogue. He became the founder of the Pediatric Institute for Mental Disorders, the Psychiatric Society and the Society for Soberness in Kyiv, was an honor member of many academic associations at home and abroad. He created more than 100 scientific works, among them "General psychology", "Psychiatry", "Soul of the child", "Basics of education and training", "Education at the age of the first childhood", "Beginnings of psychology" etc. Many of them are translated into foreign languages. A unique library of 12,000 volumes was commissioned to the University of St. Volodymyr by the professor before his death. I.O. Sikorsky died on 77th year of life on February 1, 1919. The aphorism often used by a scientist not only sheds light on his attitude to science, but also gives to his person a certain characteristic: "Life is short, and science is endless" [1].

However, after October 1917, all his work was removed from the scientific and educational circle. The main reason was the participation of I.O. Sikorsky as an expert in the so- called Beilis case. Ivan Alekseevich was careless to express in the press a fatal assumption to him that ritual murder was committed by fanatics-sectarians of the Jewish faith. The professor was accused of judofobia. At the same time, the fact that the scientist sharply opposed religious sectarianism in general, including the Christian ones, remains known.

Today is the time to objectively weigh everything and put in its places. We believe that the studying of the creative works of I.O. Sikorsky as a physician, a psychologist, a teacher should not depend on a separate episode that has nothing to do with science. The views of the scientist on child development, its driving forces and factors, the purpose and means of education substantiated by I.O. Sikorsky deserve a high grade of modern pedagogues and psychologists.

Concerning the conceptual provisions of the pedagogical heritage of I.O. Sikorsky, he called to get rid of "pedagogical empiricism" and start developing the principles of education on the basis of a comprehensive study of the child. The scientist considered that the child's comprehensive knowledge is the chain connecting the family and the school, and the combination of psychological medicine, science of education and family is the foundation for effective "educational influences". I.O. Sikorsky emphasized the importance of studying the early childhood period. He argued that the accumulation of objective data on the peculiarities of the child's body can determine the potential of educational influences, conscious leadership of the formation of personality, disclosure of individuality. The scientist believed that ultimate goal of educating was the achievement of harmonious development of the spirit and body, the mental and physical, the mind, the feeling, the will, the balance of mental, moral and aesthetic principles. First of all, in his opinion, it is necessary to adhere to the correspondence of the spiritual and physical spheres. From this point of view, the scientist analyzed the essence of children's games, developed their classification. In the justification of I.O. Sikorsky game is not only fun for the child, but it is a kind of mental work, a school of thinking, which provides specific knowledge about the objects, their size, physical qualities, the causal relationships of phenomena [8, p. 99].

The scientist pointed out the close relationship between intellectual and physical development. According to him, the nervous system is involved in any kind of work, and the nerve centers are arranged in such a way that their healthy state is supported only by labor. They suffer, atrophy, degenerate from inaction. I.O. Sikorsky was the first in the national science to study the problem of disability and fatigue. He advanced the assumption that mental fatigue should first of all be in the changes of psychomotor activity. Research by the scientist showed that four-five-hour classes negatively affect the ability to delineate of the psychophysical values, cause irritation. The scientist came to the conclusion that the human brain is constantly in active state. Mental labor is a powerful means of continuous improvement of all working mechanisms of the brain. Thus properly organized mental work has the great importance not only for mental development, but also for human life as a whole. From this I.O. Sikorsky outlines the special significance of intellectual potential for intelligent social and state development for the achievement of people's welfare.

The subject of constant attention of the scientist was the problem of achieving harmony in the development of reason, feeling and will. The result of proper education, in his belief, should be their synthesis, which ensures the moral integrity of the individual, its dignity. This gives to the character of "calm power, balance and peace of mind". I.O. Sikorsky noted that in practice children are often subjected to demands that are not accessible to their minds, feelings, wills, and the needs of the child's soul remain unanswered. "True spiritual development," emphasized I.O. Sikorsky - implies harmonious growth and improvement of the soul. Intelligent development in the best sense of the word is impossible without the simultaneous development of feelings or - as usual - heart. Only a solid mind provides an opportunity for an individual to understand what is happening outside of it, and what is happening in it itself - in its intellectual and moral development "[10, p. 7-8].

I.O. Sikorsky believed that feeling "leads the mental processes". Emotional development was considered by him in close connection with the intellectual. An intellectual feeling, the scientist argued, "shines over the joyful prospect of new discoveries...". Even more importance he attached a moral feeling. In it he saw the basis of the spiritual health of society, the success of the educational influence of the older generation on the young. Their decline, considered I.O. Sikorsky, always leads to the discrediting of high ideals and aspirations, to the growth of crime. The moral feeling lies at the heart of self-improvement, which, along with social and political progress, forms the "necessary link" to the spiritual development of society. Reforming political and social relations in itself can not provide real social progress. The scientist has outlined some ways and means of rational upbringing of feelings. He attached particular importance to external incentives. It is very important to make sure that the infant has no reason to cry during the first year of his life. Unpleasant emotions that result from poor care have a negative effect on whole life. Following Charles Darwin and

A. Preiere, I.O. Sikorsky noted the oppressive, inhibitory effect of a sense of fear [4, p. 154-155].

The general principle of leadership in emotional development, according to I.O. Sikorsky, is the suppression of affections and the promotion of healthy feelings. He outlined the following system of emotional upbringing: deterrence; suppression of affects, transferring them into a feeling of "slow", with intellectual tint; transforming the simplest and the lowest feelings into more complex, subtle, elevated; working out the ability not to be subjected to direct bursts, to possess oneself [3, p. 241].

I.O. Sikorsky betrayed great importance to diverse intellectual development. On this basis, he proposed an original classification of types of memory and formulated the corresponding rules of mental work, in particular educational. The first type of memory the scientist called the subject, reflecting the nature of perception and is distinguished by exceptional accuracy. It can be visual, auditory, muscular-tangent. When reproducing the learned mention of a particular part, it is a common memory. A child of junior school age predominantly has this memory. The second kind of memory is analytical. It gives an impression in a certain order, linking them to the system, conquering a certain idea, plan. It is typical for middle school age. The third type is an assimilative, combined with reflections, when a person tries to bring new impressions in relation to the previous ones. The scientist was considered this memory the most perfect. I.O. Sikorsky drew the attention of scientists to the problems of the volitional sphere. He stated that even a well- developed mind and feelings are powerless to correct a person who has a weak will. Education of the will should be one of the most important tasks of upbringing a person. Strengthening and development of the will is crucial for a person "in building himself as a person", in the ability to follow his own convictions [6, p. 78-80].

Favorite child of I.O. Sikorsky, to whom he devoted himself as a man and a teacher, in the educational process of which he embodied his medical, psychological and pedagogical ideas, based on the Froebel's pedagogical system, became, undoubtedly, the Froebel Pedagogical Institute [2, p. 168]. Under the first Statute of the Froebel Pedagogical Institute (1907) was a private institution of higher education with a two-year term of study (§ 1). The students of the institute were preparing for the educational activity and after the completion of the full course they got the title of "Froebel educator and head of kindergartens" (§ 2). The Institute accepted persons aged 16-40, who graduated from at least six classes in the gymnasium or other educational institutions, which were equated with the gymnasium course in their program (§3) [12, p. 71].

Special attention at the pedagogical institute, in according to the plan of I.O. Sikorsky, was given psychological and pedagogical (theoretical and practical) training of future educators. The curriculum approved in 1907 by the Pedagogical Council of the Institute is evidenced this. It includes the following psychological and pedagogical disciplines: "The doctrine of Christian morality", "Psychology with the presentation of the foundations of the doctrine of the child's soul", "Pedagogy", "Anatomy and physiology of man with a more detailed presentation of the doctrine of the nervous system, with the inclusion of elementary data on its pathology", "Hygiene: basic information with special attention to the hygiene of childhood", "Providing first medical aid", "Short information about the most important children's diseases, especially infectious", "Information about the care of sick children", "Theory of the Froebel system and the review of children's literature", methodology for teaching letters and numbers, singing, drawing and modeling, gymnastics, practical classes with children under the Froebel system. The optional, but desirable for the students of the Institute was a visit to the courses of cut and sewing, needlework and housekeeping. Practical classes were held at the Shelter of the Relief Society, as well as in other relevant institutions of the choice of the Pedagogical Council of the Institute (§ 6). For listening to lectures a fee was set - 60 rubles. per year (§ 10). In addition, at the Pedagogical Institute there were functioning annual paid courses (20 rubles a year) for the training of experienced nurses, the so-called "School of Nannies". Professional and pedagogical training at these courses was somewhat shortened and included practical classes with children under the Froebel system, reading of children's literature, singing, drawing and modeling, cutting, sewing and needlework courses, housekeeping, and provision of first aid. Subject to the successful passing of the corresponding examinations, the graduates received the qualification of "Scientist Nannies" (§ 21, 22) [7, p. 3-4, 8].

The fact that in 1908, in an attempt to get rid of dependence on the charitable Association of Labor Assistance, the Pedagogical Council recognized the necessity of establishing a Froebel Society in Kyiv, as a decisive factor in the further fate of the Froebel Pedagogical Institute. The reason was the neglect by the Society of Labor Assistance of the teaching and scientific purpose of the Institute. The main tasks of the Society of Labor Assistance were: the organization of free shelters for needy women; placement of reference offices for work; organization of professional readings (culinary, for sitters) with the purpose of preparing women for special classes and further employment; organization of kindergartens and nurseries for infants. Therefore, the Society of Labor Assistance was not always understood and supported by the teaching tasks and requirements of the Institute. In this regard, the Pedagogical Council recognized to found the Froebel Society for the advancement of education in Kyiv [17, p. 1-4].

In § 2 of the draft Statute of the Froebel Society I.O. Sikorsky wrote: "In order to achieve the goal (development and improvement of the case of education), the society initiates the pedagogical Froebel Institute with a model kindergarten, a shelter and an elementary school for the training of educators, nurseries, nannies and, in general, persons preparing for a pedagogical work" [9, with. 11]. The training lasted up to three years. Thus, in 1908, the Froebel Pedagogical Institute received a second birth. From here there are discussions about the date of its foundation (1907 or 1908) [5, p. 12].

According to the Charter, in 1908-1909 the Kiev Froebel Society opened the listed pedagogical establishments. There were five of them: a pedagogical institute, a kindergarten, an elementary school, a orphanage, a pedagogical ambulance. They formed a pedagogical association with the center at the Froebel Pedagogical Institute. According to I.O. Sikorsky, the designated institutions were internally interconnected and formed a single pedagogical whole [12, p. 82]. Thus, in 1908, a unique prototype of the modern educational and scientific complex was created.

Froebel Pedagogical Institute was founded and considered in the system of pedagogical association as "the higher female pedagogical school for scientific and practical training of listeners for pedagogical activity and observation of the young soul" [12, p. 18] from the period of the infant to adolescence inclusive.

It was assumed that graduates of the pedagogical institute would be able to carry out the duties of educators and teachers not only in children's shelters, kindergartens and primary schools, but also in secondary schools. This was facilitated by the fact that the students, while studying to care for children, participated in the observation, education and training of children in kindergartens and schools. Thus, the main subjects of professional and pedagogical training were: "Froebel's pedagogical system", methods of different disciplines, "General psychology", "Psychology of childhood". They were taught on specific examples of life and teaching of children. Students in small groups attended classes in kindergarten, lessons at school, and two days a week each of them independently engaged with two children [12, p.82]. Practical classes in the pedagogical ambulatory department consisted of a comprehensive psychological and pedagogical examination of children, providing pedagogical counseling and advice to parents and educators.

From year to year psychological and pedagogical training at the Froebel Pedagogical Institute was perfected; the pedagogical cycle was replenished with new subjects. In particular, according to an analysis of the report on the status of the Kiev Froebel Pedagogical Institute for 1910-1911 in the framework of vocational and pedagogical training, the following subjects were read to the students: "Introduction to experimental didactics", "Science of schooling" (A.F. Mu- sichenko), "History of pedagogy" (S.A. Ananin), "Logic" (V.V. Zenkovsky), "Issues of preschool education" (N.D. Lubenets), "Soul of the child", "The doctrine of hard in the educational relation children" (I.O. Sikorsky).

The analysis of curricula and programs, as well as the report on the status of the Kiev Froebel Pedagogical Institute and educational institutions in it in 1913 showed that the disciplines of the pedagogical cycle were merged into the so- called "Special-pedagogical department" and counted 21 subjects. Among them: "Theory of pedagogy", "Pedagogical psychology", "History of pedagogical studying", "Anatomical and physiological features of a person", "Hygiene of childhood", "Preschool education", various methods (primary education, Russian language, mathematics, singing, drawing etc.). Significantly enriched and emotionally strengthened the pedagogical cycle of such disciplines as "Diction and Reclamation", "Children's Games", "Review of folk and children's literature", "Children's Types in Literature and Painting" etc.

According to the theoretical courses, practical classes were held on games, "exercises in educational methods, teaching in kindergartens and elementary schools" etc. Substantial practical training of future educators took place at the educational and auxiliary institutions at the institute: a pedagogical ambulatory, where a pedagogical examination of difficult children was conducted by a psychiatrist in the presence of the students and their direct participation; kindergarten (classes on the so-called "improved" Froebel system were held in junior and senior kindergarten for children 4-7 years old); free primary mixed school.

It should be noted that for the teaching of psychological and pedagogical disciplines in the Froebel Pedagogical Institute lecturers were obtained exclusively with higher specialized education. The high level of the teaching staff confirms the crucial importance of vocational and pedagogical training in the educational process of the pedagogical institute. So, in different years here taught: S.A. Ananin ("The History of Pedagogy"), V.V. Zenkovsky ("Pedagogic" and "Logic"), N.D. Lubenets ("Theory of preschool education"), O.F. Muzychenko ("Science of schooling" and "Introduction to Experimental Didactics"), S.F. Rusova ("Theory of pedagogy" and "Preschool education"), I.O. Sikorsky ("The Soul of the Child" and "The doctrine of hard in the educational relation children") [13, ark. 2].

Until 1914-1915 the psychological and pedagogical training in the Froebel Pedagogical Institute acquired a complete systemic and structural design, its content enriched. As noted in the Statute of the private Kiev Froebel Pedagogical Institute (1915), unlike the Regulations of 1907, the full course of training officially lasted three years. The professional-pedagogical preparation of each year of training was accumulated in the "Special Department". It was already an extensive system, which included the following groups of pedagogical disciplines: 1) pedagogical subjects (general): "Pedagogical psychology", "History of pedagogical studying", "Introduction to experimental didactics", "Nature as a factor of education", "The doctrine of physical development of man"; 2) school education; 3) methodology for teaching disciplines in the school: Russian language, arithmetic, natural science, drawing, modeling, singing, children's games, manual labor; 4) preschool education: "The soul of the child", "The issue of preschool education", "The doctrine of hard in the educational relation children", "Anatomical and physiological features of the child's organism", "Hygiene of childhood", "Review of children's literature" [11, with. 6-7].

Theoretical classes took place in unity with the practical training of future teachers. Pedagogical practice was concentrated in the educational and auxiliary institutions of the pedagogical association of the Froebel Pedagogical Institute. There was opened a cabinet of experimental psychology for systematic pedagogical examinations children by listeners. In addition, practical classes on laboratory psychology, expressive reading, drawing, modeling, singing, gymnastics and manual labor were organized. The fact that pedagogical practice was an integral and organic component of psychological and pedagogical training is evidenced by the fact that even during the period of the evacuation of the Froebel Pedagogical Institute to Saratov (from 2 November 1915), practical classes were organized in the educational and auxiliary institutions on the basis of two Saratov children's refuges - The Gutkov and The Yegorov (kindergarten and school) [160, ark. 61-64]. Theoretical psychological and pedagogical courses in this period continued to read by V.V. Zenkivsky ("Pedagogical Psychology", "Soul of the Child") and S.F. Rusova ("Theory of pedagogy", "Preschool education") [16, p 6-13].

It should be noted that short-term pedagogical courses were constantly functioning at the Froebel Pedagogical Institute. From 1911 annually (in the summer), general education courses for teachers were conducted. In April 1915 the Froebel Pedagogical Institute and the Society established six-week evening courses for preschool education. Professional and pedagogical training at the courses included teaching disciplines in a reduced form and was based on the assimilation of separate sections: from pedagogy (A.B. Se- likhanovich), psychology of childhood (V.V. Zenkovsky), pedagogical psychology (P.V. Petrovsky). Lectures on the courses were also read by M.F. Dadenkov ("Institutions for children in the West and in us"), S.F. Rusova ("Issues of preschool education", "The issue of auxiliary education").

In 1916 the evening classes for extracurricular education for female and male students began to function at the Institute. The course program envisaged the elaboration of the following key issues: 1) history and current state of the country's out-of-school education; 2) the organization of extracurricular education, its legal and social status; 3) the theory and practice of excursions; 4) evening and sunday classes for adults; 5) preschool affairs; 6) the issue of extracurricular religious education etc. [14, p. 34, 38]. In April 1917 the question about the opening of Ukrainian national courses in pre-school was raised, in which within the framework of psychological and pedagogical preparation, lectures "Soul of the child" (P.V. Petrovsky), "Hygiene of preschool age" (A.G. Cherniahovsky), the course "Gymnastics and Games" was singled out [15, p. 2]. Teaching courses in pre-school, school and adult education have identified further areas of the three departments Froebel Pedagogical Institute.

In 1916-1917 the final formation of the educational process of the institute is taking place. The Statute of 1917 states its status as a higher educational establishment with a three-year term of study and the presence of three departments - preschool, school and out-of-school. Accordingly there was a restructuring of subjects in three blocks: propaedeutic, basic, special. Professional-pedagogical training was accumulated in two blocks: "Basic subjects" and "Special department". The "Basic subjects" included such psychological and pedagogical disciplines as "Pedagogical Psychology", "History of Pedagogical studying", "Introduction to Experimental Didactics", "Issues of Religious Education", "Doctrine of Physical Development", "School hygiene and hygiene of children age", "Science of schooling", methods of elementary education: Russian language, arithmetic, natural science, painting, modeling and singing. In addition: "Children's games", "Hand work", "Soul of the child", "Theory of preschool education", "Pedagogical pathology", "Providing first medical aid in the event of accidents", "Review of folk children's literature", "Excursions" and "New Languages". The "Special Section" supplemented the "Basic Subjects":

1) at the preschool department with practical classes on psychology and pedagogy at preschool and elementary school;

2) at the school department special courses in Russian language, history, geography, mathematics, science; 3) regarding the out-of-school department, these were courses: "History and the current state of extracurricular education in Russia and other countries", "Theory and practice of excursion", "Library Science", "Art as a factor in extracurricular education" etc. [18, p. 1].

Practical classes and pedagogical practice took place at the educational and auxiliary institutions of the pedagogical association of the institute, which until 1917 was considerably enriched. In 1917 it consisted of: a public kindergarten and other preschool institutions, several public schools (where not only studying, but also lunches for children were free), two ambulances: pedological and pedagogical pathology, at the school department opened a higher elementary school [18, ark. 6-8]. Thus the pedagogical complex of the Kiev Froebel Pedagogical Institute, its educational process became final organizational design. The mentioned pedagogical system was functioning actively, had some great prospects for further development.

Conclusions. Thus, the Kiev Froebel Pedagogical Institute, successfully implementing the author's medical-psychological-pedagogical concept of I.O. Sikorsky and Froebel pedagogical system, played a significant role in the training of pedagogical staff: educators of pre-school institutions with higher education, primary school teachers, and pedagogical staff of extracurricular institutions during the period of 19071920. Professional-pedagogical training at the institution of pedagogical education differed in originality, depth, depth of author's approaches to teaching pedagogical disciplines, characterized by multi-dimensionality in accordance with three departments: preschool, school and extracurricular. The essence of professional and pedagogical training was in the unity of pedagogical theory and practice. First of all, this was facilitated by the existence of an educational association, where the Froebel Pedagogical Institute acted as a pedagogical center and coordinated the activities of educational and auxiliary institutions: pre-school establishments, schools, and pedagogical ambulances.