The paper reveals the research findings analyzing the declaration of scientific conformity and fundamentality of education and its correspondence with the actual status of education at various levels. The survey respondents were selected from the school and university students, postgraduates, candidates and doctors of sciences, either prone to or engaged in research activity at various levels.

The research data demonstrate that the system of continuing education does not provide any clear and verified algorithm of scientific and cognitive activity, as the result the scientific cognitive competence of human subjects of educational process is not developed including its intellectual and instrumental components. The changes of educational status appear to depend mainly on intuition and personal expertise which contradicts the declared organizational principles of scientific and educational activities. At all levels of lifelong education, the research process is generally perceived as being induced rather than initiative which adversely affects the social phenomenon of scientific development, and consequently the propagation of scientific knowledge.

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