The main goal of the Government is to provide Ukrainians with guaranteed educational opportunities. This was emphasised by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on 3 September.

To this end, the Government has focused on five strategic areas. The first is safety and accessibility.

“As part of the comprehensive School Offline policy, we are returning children to full-time education. We are building and modernising school shelters. We have created risk assessment criteria for each school. In total, this year the Government has allocated a record UAH 7.5 billion for the modernisation, arrangement and construction of shelters. We want children to return to school wherever possible. This is a strategic priority,” said Denys Shmyhal.

The Head of Government said that on 2 September, officers of the Educational Security Service started working. They will respond to all security challenges in schools. It is planned to cover 2,000 schools by the end of the year.

The programme to purchase school buses is also ongoing. First of all, the needs of the frontline and border areas are being met.

“The second area is the latest technologies. Yesterday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented a new digital tool for children, teachers and parents – the Mriia app and web portal. For children, this means access to new information, their own ID card, and better planning of their day. For parents, it means better communication with teachers and control over their children’s progress. And for teachers, it means getting rid of unnecessary bureaucracy and concentrating on the main thing, teaching and educating students,” the Prime Minister said.

According to the Head of Government, 40 schools from different regions of Ukraine have already joined Mriia. The tool is currently available to 100,000 users.

The third area is the New Ukrainian School. Last year, almost UAH 1.5 billion was allocated for this purpose. This year, the Government has allocated the same amount.

“Along with reforming the basic school, we are expanding opportunities for high school students. Starting from 2027, they will be able to choose their study profile and disciplines,” said Denys Shmyhal.

The fourth area of reform is the creation of an effective network of vocational schools. According to the Prime Minister, the Government’s task is to make vocational schools prestigious and vocational education promising.

“To do this, we are modernising the material and technical base. Almost UAH 550 million has been allocated in the budget. Together with our partners, this year we will upgrade 100 vocational school workshops, which will open up new opportunities for education,” the Head of Government said.

The fifth area of educational change is the transformation of higher education. In particular, the Government has launched a pilot project to provide students with state grants. These grants partially or fully cover the cost of studying on a contract basis in any bachelor’s programme. As of now, more than 170 public and private universities have joined this project.

“Another element of the higher education reform is individual educational trajectories for students. More freedom, more choice, more academic mobility. At the same time, we are intensifying research at universities. Higher education should not only teach, but also move science forward,” said Denys Shmyhal.