Before the start of the new school year, the “August 2024” Education Conference brought together experts, educators, government leaders, international partners, NGO representatives and young people to collaborate on driving educational transformations and strengthening education in Ukraine, despite all the challenges. The conference was attended by Andrii Lytvynchuk, PhD in Economics, Director of the SSI “Institute of Educational Analytics”, Hanna Tereshchenko, PhD in Economics, Deputy Director for Scientific and Organisational Work, and Andrii Kirianov, Deputy Director for Research and IT.

“August 2024” is about education as a state strategy, education in times of war, educational transformations and what the new school year will look like. Despite a long delay caused by an air raid that lasted several hours, more than 300 in-person participants and thousands of viewers online followed the keynote speeches and panel discussions. Discussions covered a range of topics, including alternative models of preschool education and vocational education reform, the introduction of new standard educational programmes, model curricula, teacher professional development and the redistribution of hours between subjects. The hostile missile attack, during which the first presentations were held in a shelter, only confirmed that security is a key priority for this school year.

The first speaker at the event was Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Development – Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. He outlined key areas for the development of Ukraine’s education system, focusing on technology, innovation and digitalisation.

“The world is becoming more innovative and technologically advanced, and we need to respond quickly to new challenges. To do this, we need to transform the education system. Together with the Ministry of Education and Science, we are implementing qualitative changes at all levels. In particular, we have revived the New Ukrainian School (NUS) reform, introduced technologies, removed unnecessary bureaucracy, modernised higher education institutions, introduced grants for education, and changed the approach to the work of supervisory boards, among other initiatives. There is a particular focus on the implementation of “Mriya”, an app that will be a game changer for the entire education system. Our goal is to build a system capable of creating professional and happy people for the new innovative economy,” said Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Development – Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

In his speech, Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, emphasised that the modernisation of education is a top priority for the country. He discussed the urgent challenges facing education today and the role that transformations in preschool, school, vocational, and higher education play in this process.

“We have a lot of work to do at national, regional, community and school administration levels. But amidst the flurry of concern as the new school year approaches, we must remember that the country we want to build can only be achieved by maintaining and developing our human capital. We are losing this capital through depopulation and migration; we are losing people on the front line and our nation is ageing. Therefore, the educational environment must produce educated, highly motivated and patriotic youth who will offset these losses through their productivity and self-realisation. Creating such an environment is our collective responsibility,” said Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.

Vocational education has been identified as a priority area for the development of social capital in the country. The Ministry of Education and Science, in collaboration with its partners, is currently investing significant resources in this area, with the aim of reforming the sector. Vocational education and training in Ukraine is a strategic issue for the country’s reconstruction and future well-being. Efforts are therefore focused on improving legislation, renovating workshops, creating new designs and developing the sector as a whole.

The conference also addressed safety issues in the educational process. In this regard, Munir Mammadzade, Head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)  in Ukraine, said: “Education is crucial for the well-being and development of children. It cannot be put on hold without risking the future of an entire generation and the country’s recovery. UNICEF commends and supports the Government’s efforts to restore access to face-to-face education where possible, while ensuring the safety of children. This is essential for children’s academic success. It also creates a sense of normalcy through stable schedules and emotional support. And the resilience we build now will be our strength in the future. It’s not just about reopening schools, it’s about making sure they are properly equipped to support the holistic development of every child”.

The support of partners is essential to advance education in the current context. None of the results would have been possible without the contributions of foundations, organisations, sponsors and volunteers. The reforms in school education and vocational training, as well as the recovery and reconstruction efforts, are our collective achievements for which we are always grateful.

“Despite all the challenges of war, we understand that we may not have another, more favourable time to implement reforms. Pupils currently in the 7th grade will enter the 10th grade of the NUS in 2027, regardless of circumstances, and will have a choice between academic lyceums and vocational colleges. It is crucial that they attend a modern school where learning and development are engaging. If we create all the necessary conditions for the timely and high-quality development of specialised secondary education, we will lay the foundations for the country’s reconstruction and enable young people to build their future in Ukraine,” said Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager.

There is no doubt that the transformation of education is moving the world. This is the first impulse that will create a vector of opportunities for economic recovery, technological independence and many other important areas. And the first step for this is to bring back to life not only individual institutions, but also entire infrastructures – communities where hundreds and thousands of Ukrainian families live.

“Renewing the educational process is impossible without rebuilding communities. Destroyed homes, schools, hospitals and damaged roads prevent people from living full lives. The longer these facilities remain unrepaired, the more people will leave and the less likely they are to return. The reconstruction process should be as inclusive as possible, taking into account the interests and needs of everyone: children, parents, educators, businesses, communities and the state as a whole. Partnership and dialogue are key to success. Therefore, I urge educators to be proactive and to build cooperation with international organisations, charitable foundations, and the public sector. Only the synergy of efforts can bring good results,” said Viktor Liakh, President of the East Europe Foundation.

The Education Conference highlights the importance of dialogue between educators, government, business and the public for the successful reform of Ukraine’s education sector. Together, we can ensure quality education for every child in Ukraine in the new school year and beyond.

The event was organised and hosted with the support of the German Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine, the Swiss-Ukrainian project DECIDE project “Decentralisation for Democratic Education”, implemented in Ukraine by a consortium consisting of the NGO DOCCU and the Zurich University of Teacher Education with support from Switzerland, and the Swiss-funded EGAP programme, implemented by the East Europe Foundation.

Information from the Press Centre of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine