Swedish distance higher education peculiarities

The article is about distant education peculiarities development in Sweden. Timeliness is based on the distant learning implementation and possibilities usage, which electronic teaching gives to today’s youth. The system of Swedish distance higher education complements the existing full-time and part-time training system, not as its analogy[1]. It is naturally integrated into this system, improving and developing it, contributing to increased integration of various educational institutions and the development of continuous education of citizens. Due to a mobile information and educational environment and reduce unit costs per student is approximately two times compared with traditional systems of education distance learning provides a new level of access to education while maintaining its quality. Distance education is the most promising form of education system in the XXI century.
At the same time as the most important tasks of the Swedish distance higher education are:
• increasing social and professional mobility of the population, its business and social activity, level of self-consciousness, expanding horizons;
• preservation and increase of knowledge, human and material potentials of accumulated national school;
• development of common educational space in Sweden, which includes providing opportunities for distance education anywhere in the educational space.
It is assigned to the concept of distance education challenges and priorities[2]. Distance education is valid and relevant. It is the most appropriately and flexibly respond to the educational needs of society and ensure implementation of the constitutional right to education of every citizen of the country.
That is why the concept completes the development of distance learning.
The development of Swedish distance education is focused on such social groups as:
- Young people who are not able to obtain high-quality educational services in the traditional education system because of the limited capacity of the system, the need to combine training with work, geographical distance from the university centers and other similar factors;
- Officers, which reduced the Armed Forces and their families;
- Persons who perform their military service in the Armed Forces;
- Officers and soldiers of Ministry and border guards;
- Dismissed and reduced civilians;
- Heads of regional government and administration;
- People of all ages who live in remote regions;
- Adults who already have education and wish to acquire new knowledge;
- Students who intend to get a second parallel education;
- Persons wishing to receive an education second;
- Persons whose specific work does not allow to study the rhythm of current educational technologies;
- Those with medical restrictions for receiving regular education in hospitals;
- Managers at various levels who work in enterprises of all forms of ownership;
- Teachers of different educational institutions including universities.
Implementation of selected problems and priorities are quite possible. Its objective necessity dictated by a number of processes in the society as:
- Continuation of economic reforms that impose new requirements for education;
- Creation of new needs of the population in the modern sense and technology education;
- Policy changes that promote the growth of international relations, including in education;
- The emergence and rapid development of new technical means of information exchange between participants of the educational process;
- The growth of international integration in education in increasing competition
the global education market.

However, the implementation of assigned tasks and priorities should be taken into account such fundamental requirements as:
- The unconditional provision of high standards and quality of education through the implementation of comprehensive educational programs based on the best traditions of national education, international experience, as well as the use of advanced psychological and educational, information, communication and other technologies;
- Education organizations and long lasted cooperation of education, science and production and use of the benefits generated by such organization;
- Targeting specific courses and distance learning programs based on social and educational objectives and specific contingent of students;
- Consistent formation of favorable public opinion about distance education and create conditions for social and psychological comfort of the users.
Educational, social and psychological feedback distance service determines its effectiveness in different regions and the effectiveness of distance learning different categories of users.

1. Сайт міністерства освіти і науки Швеції http://www.sweden.gov.se

2. Сайт Umea University http://www.umu.se/english