The article covers the issues of developing the content of teaching physics and astronomy under conditions of a systemic reform of comprehensive secondary education. The peculiarities of implementation of the physical and astronomical components of the state standard of the basic and complete general secondary education of the second generation are analyzed. The tendencies of designing the courses of physics and astronomy in the profession-oriented school are determined. The competent orientation of the training content and the basic principles of its design are substantiated. Problems that are necessary to be solved for the effective introduction of new content, ensuring the quality of natural education in higher school as well as the formation of key competencies of graduates, are considered to be urgent.