High School is Changing: what Opportunities will Open up for Students

By 2027, high schools in Ukraine are set to adopt a «profession-oriented» approach. 85% of high school students support the high school reform as evidenced by the all-Ukrainian sociological survey conducted by KIIS.

During the «Profession-oriented: What will be the reform of high school» event and the presentation of the all-Ukrainian sociological survey, a public discussion took place featuring the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Oksen Lisovyi, along with high school students. The teenagers noted they lacked the opportunity to choose subjects that better align with their interests.

«The high school reform changes the value-based approach to education. Ninth graders will be able to choose how they want to study in high school. This is embedded in the philosophy of the entire reform, which aligns with the aspirations of the students. We give them freedom. This is one of the most important, fundamental human values», — said the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Oksen Lisovyi.

Most parents and students surveyed believe that educational institutions offer career guidance. However, more than 40% of respondents noted that discussing professions primarily comes from teachers.

Preparations for implementing the reform are currently underway, including drafting amendments to legislation, developing programs, textbooks, and teaching materials, establishing professional development for teachers, and updating the educational environment in future lyceums and colleges.

Serhiy Koleboshyn, a People’s Deputy of Ukraine and Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Education, Science and Innovation, emphasized that effective implementation of the high school reform is contingent upon changes in legislation regarding school network formation. The government is already preparing a draft law to be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

«Given the diversity of settlements, the school network will require different approaches. However, large cities, including regional centers, should have separate academic lyceums for grades 1-9. I hope this will be addressed in the draft law, as it is important to ensure high-quality and diverse educational trajectories», — the People’s Deputy emphasized.

According to Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager, a key objective for the MoES partners is to create a comprehensive plan for implementing the reform.

«To ensure that the reform strategy is based on analytical data on the state of education in Ukraine, its connection with the economy and the state’s recovery needs, we have conducted several national studies. Today, we have presented the results of the KIIS study. It is crucial, especially in times of war, to understand whether society supports these changes when implementing reforms. We must conduct such public opinion surveys every year to enable the Government to plan and implement reforms based on public demand. If we timely and effectively create the necessary prerequisites for the development of profession-oriented secondary education, it will lay a foundations for the country’s recovery and give young people the opportunity to build a future in their country».

The piloting of the reform will start in 2025 in selected lyceums across various regions. The national-level launch of the reform is scheduled for 2027-2029.

The study was conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) in April-May 2024 at the request of the Swiss-Ukrainian project DECIDE upon the request of the Ministry of Education and Science. The survey covered representatives from local authorities, educators, parents, and students from all regions of Ukraine. The survey was conducted by online surveying technique (CAWI) in April-May 2024 using a representative sample of schools, VET and professional pre-higher education institutions. In total, more than 80,000 respondents from 300 territorial communities in all regions of Ukraine took part in the survey.