Specialised secondary education reform discussed in Vinnytsia region
On 14 November, Vinnytsia hosted a public discussion of the specialised secondary education reform, which provides for students to choose a study profile and subjects according to their interests and future plans. The main goal of such meetings is to involve communities in the development of legislative changes and jointly determine what the network of institutions of specialised secondary education in the region should look like.
The discussion was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the DECIDE project, Vinnytsia Regional State Administration, community leaders and heads of education divisions.
Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi stressed the importance of the reform:
«Today, Ukrainians need education that prepares them for life in the country of the future, for which we are fighting today. In fact, this is a war for a system of values. Human freedom and opportunities are fundamental in it. Hence, the high school reform is so important. It will enable students to choose their educational path, and thus their future».
Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager, underlined the importance of cooperation with communities:
«With the support of the DECIDE Project, nine public discussions of the reform have already been held in the regions of Ukraine. It was not an easy dialogue, but we all understand that pupils who are studying in the 7th grade today will go to the 10th grade or vocational colleges in 2027. And the level of education our students will receive in the future and the degree to which they will be able to fulfil their potential depends on how we prepare for the changes today. That is why, at the request of the Government, the DECIDE Project has created a platform for dialogue so that communities can express their views, propose changes, and become active participants in the strategy stage of the reform implementation. At such platforms, we are looking for shared solutions that will facilitate the implementation of changes. The success of the high school reform both in Ukraine as a whole and in each particular region greatly depends on the outcomes of this dialogue».
Vinnytsia region plans to establish 156 institutions of secondary vocational education. The number of students who will potentially study at academic lyceums and vocational colleges in 2030 is approximately 53,400.
This process involves coordination, cooperation and consideration of the specifics of each community to ensure quality vocational education in high school.
After the discussion, 52.5% of the participants said that the understanding of the ‘rules’ of the reform implementation had become clearer. 71.1% planned to have an academic lyceum in their community, and another 2.6% intended to have a regional lyceum in their community.