AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS IN THE U.S. SECONDARY EDUCATION SYSTEM: HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Abstract

The article identifies and analyzes the historical stages in the development of the U.S. afterschool education system (initial stage – 1800s–1900s; popularization – 1950s–1960s; expansion – 1970s–1980s; contemporary stage – 1990s to the present). The United States has made significant achievements in organizing afterschool education, which makes it possible to adopt positive American experience for the reform, improvement, and modernization of afterschool education in Ukraine. It has been proven that extracurricular activities – regardless of their name – are an integral, essential, and broad component of education in America. The development of teamwork skills, the formation of hobbies and interests, the creation of school yearbooks, newspapers, and theatrical performances, as well as participation in interschool competitions and intramural sports events, offer students many opportunities to discover and develop their talents, helping to prepare them for real life in adult society. It is noted that afterschool education programs have a long and rich history of providing educational, recreational, and support services for children and adolescents outside regular school hours. These programs play a crucial role in the lives of millions of schoolchildren around the world by offering them a safe and supervised environment to participate in various activities and learn new skills. The article identifies and outlines the factors influencing the development of the afterschool education system, including: changes in the American employment system (such as increased participation of women in paid labor and the rising employment rate of mothers), changes in the social environment of disadvantaged areas (concerns about the effects of crime and violence in such neighborhoods and their negative impact on children's academic and social development), concerns about the care of children who organize their own afterschool leisure time (leading to academic and social adjustment problems for self-care children), and socio-economic policies (such as government involvement in the development of the afterschool education system).