Competence refers to the basic concepts of modern educational theory and practice of acquiring special importance in environmental education. Environmental education specificity is the accumulation of environmental science and pedagogy achievements that may become the basis of ecological competence formation as an integrated characteristics of an individual.Environmental competence refers to the general competence, but also includes a number of specific competencies aimed at solving specific and sometimes unusual tasks.Critical intellection is an essential characteristic of environmental competence, and the formation of critical intellection combined with creativity is the basis of competence approach in education.Philosophy of Education by Paulo Freire is of a basis weight for understanding the essence of critical intellection in pedagogical theory and practice."Banking "funded" model of education" concept by Paulo Freire demonstrates the disadvantages of prevailing oppressive, narrative, uncreative educational system and uncreative mechanical learning, which is opposed to the concept of modern education and critical understanding formation through the dialogue.The fundamental feature of the modern (liberation) problematic oriented education has the following aspects:1) it is based on the activities, but it is not based on the information transfer and assimilation;2) the object of knowledge is a link between teacher and student.The teacher and student efforts are focused on the object of knowlege research that involves the dialogue in the educational process.There is an important thesis about better explaining and implement of ecological education and it points that problematic oriented method is charecterised by cognitive approach and critical intellection. It is also important for understanding and orientation in a particular situation, environmental protection and people's health and life saving. Information literacy as a complex of skills related to education and critical intellection is an important part of the ecological competence formation.From the time of national pedagogy, philosophical - educational ideas by the Brazilian educator P. Freire were widely developed and contributed the formation of new educational vision as a social partnership to overcome the disadvantages of the command, repressive, totalitarian, uncritical educational system. Instead of these there were critical educational concepts based on humanism, creation and various human experience.The concept of the modern (liberation) problematic oriented education was aimed at the critical intellection formation and environmental competence. It covers not only the standard school educational system and it also involves educational sphere and public informing.

В статье исследуется потенциал компетентностного подхода в современном образовании. Утверждается, что компетентность как базовое понятие современной образовательной теории и практики приобретает особое значение в экообразовании в форме экологической компетентности. Экологическая компетентность относится к общей компетентности, включая ряд специфических компетенций, направленных на решение особенных и нестандартных задач. Критическое мышление является неотъемлемой характеристикой экологической компетентности, а формирование критического мышления в соединении с творчеством и информационной грамотностью составляет основу становления экологической компетентности.

У статті досліджується потенціал компетентнісного підходу в сучасній освіті. Автор стверджує, що компетентність як базове поняття сучасної освітньої теорії та практики набуває особливої ваги в екоосвіті у формі екологічної компетентності. Екологічна компетентність належить до загальної компетентності, охоплюючи низку специфічних компетентностей, спрямованих на розв'язання особливих і нестандартних завдань. Критичне мислення є невід'ємною характеристикою екологічної компетентності, а формування критичного мислення в поєднанні з творчістю та інформаційною грамотністю - це основа становлення екологічної компетентності.