Next, we note that I_f is the index of the form of education for distance and distance learning is unreasonably reduced.

We also propose to calculate this index taking into account the indicator of relative staffing needs (RNS). But this indicator will be calculated, taking into account not the number of credits, but the number of contact (classroom) hours of part-time students. The definition of such hours is regulated by the Guidelines for the implementation of the European credit transfer system and its key documents in higher education institutions developed by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (Letter No. 1/9-119 dated 26.02.2010). To substantiate the IF index, we compare the indicator of the relative need for staff for four years of bachelor’s training with the corresponding indicator for distance learning, given that the period of distance learning will be more than 4 years.

Thus, paragraph 11 of these guidelines establishes that during the sessions part-time students have the same weekly time budget as full-time students (54 hours). At different years of training, the duration of the session can be from 30 to 40 days, depending on the schedule of the educational process of a particular HEI. To perform calculations, take the example of the distribution of hours given in the guidelines. The duration of the session in the first, second and fifth years of study is 30 days, and in the third and fourth – 40 days. That is, the duration of sessions for the entire period of preparation of the bachelor in distance learning is 170 days or about 24 weeks. Given the requirement of 54 hours of training per week, we get the number of contact hours (CH) 1,296 (24×54). In accordance with the above logic of the distribution of contact hours between lectures and practices (in the case of correspondence – between the arrival of applicants for higher education to study) we get: