License Revoked for 'Ranch School' Private Lyceum
The Kyiv Regional Military Administration has revoked the operating license of the private 'Ranch School' Lyceum for violating its licensing terms. The revocation order, issued on January 29, 2026, followed an inspection by the State Education Quality Service conducted on January 26, 2026. Located in the village of Khotianivka, Kyiv Oblast, the lyceum had initially received its license on May 24, 2024.
According to the order, the licensee must be informed of the decision within five business days. This decision can be appealed to the Expert-Appeal Council on Licensing. In 2025, the 'Ranch School' private lyceum received an educational subvention of 190.9 thousand hryvnias, but no funding was provided in 2026.
Connection to Underground School Scandal
Separately, the lyceum was implicated in an investigation into an underground school operating at the 'Holosiivska Pustyn' monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP). This covert school provided education for over 60 children from grades 1 through 9. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) launched an investigation into potential illegal activities on the monastery grounds. Minister of Education and Science Serhii Lisovyi also announced inspections of schools whose pupils attended the underground facility.
The UOC-MP stated it was unaware of the school's existence. The monastery's archbishop, Isaakii Vorzelskyi (also known as Fedir Pylypovych Andronik), reportedly left Ukraine the day after the media broke the story. Meanwhile, the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language's office found no violations of language legislation at the underground school.
The revocation of the 'Ranch School' license underscores the heightened scrutiny of educational standards in Ukraine, particularly in light of recent state inspections.
The discovery of the underground school has raised significant public concern, likely leading to tighter oversight of educational institutions. This incident highlights the complex relationship between religious organizations and state regulatory bodies in Ukraine's education sector.