Khmelnytskyi region's communities join discussion on high school reform

On 15 November 2024, a public discussion on the implementation of the specialised secondary education reform took place in Khmelnytskyi. The event brought together more than 150 participants: representatives of the regional military administration, regional council, district military administration, community leaders and heads of education directorates.

The discussion took place as part of a series of regional events organised by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in partnership with the Swiss-Ukrainian project DECIDE.

Among the key topics covered:

- community cooperation to create a network of academic lyceums;

- funding models for academic lyceums;

- issues of founders of secondary vocational education institutions.

In Khmelnytskyi Region, 48 academic lyceums and 22 vocational colleges are planned to be established. However, the communities still need to agree on a prospective network to make it function efficiently by 2027.

After the discussion, 59% of participants said that the understanding of the «rules» of the reform implementation had become clearer. 64% planned to have an academic lyceum in their community, and another 9% intended to have a regional lyceum in their community.

Nadiya Kuzmichova, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, stressed the importance of cooperation:

«This reform is special because the decisions of one authority, i.e. the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, are not enough to implement it. Yes, the Ministry of Education and Science plays a key role, as it submits legislative proposals and is responsible for updating the education content. However, it is only through the link between the Ministry of Education and Science and communities that a capable network of educational institutions can be developed. It is only through cooperation with the Ministry of Finance that subventions for equipment can be provided. And together with the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories, we can develop infrastructure solutions, such as roads», — the deputy minister noted.

Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager, also explained how the reform strategy was elaborated and what factors were taken into account. The basis of educational changes is the demand of society, she said.

«The territorial communities are the founders of academic lyceums, so it is very important to listen to their opinion, understand the conditions for establishing these lyceums and improve the legislation in line with the real situation in the field. For this purpose, we are organising a discussion platform with communities in the form of public discussions of the reform goals so that the government can hear and take into account their opinions.

This reform is being implemented to ensure that pupils have a choice of profession and, starting from the 5th or 6th grade, gradually move towards choosing their career path. For this purpose, it is planned to introduce the position of career advisers so that pupils in grades 10-12 can more consciously choose the direction they are more talented in and envision their professional future. The changes are planned to help pupils fulfil themselves and find a job in our country», — said Valentyna Poltorak.

The discussion ended with a Q&A session.