Despite Government Decision, Salaries for Preschool and Extracurricular Educators Remain Unchanged

Salary Increases for Educators in Ukraine

According to Главком: During a recent educational meeting with local communities, the Ukrainian government identified specific regions that have failed to raise wages for preschool teachers and extracurricular education staff. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance have been tasked with addressing this issue. Under new initiatives, the state increased educator salaries by 30% starting January 1, 2026, with a further 20% raise scheduled for September 1, 2026. Overall, teacher pay is expected to grow by 50% throughout 2026.

Salaries for kindergarten teachers and extracurricular educators are funded from local budgets. Yuliia Svyrydenko noted that the problematic communities have already been identified, and the government will work with each region individually. Funds have been allocated for shelters, kitchen facilities, and school buses, including:

• 6 billion UAH – for shelters in educational institutions;
• 1 billion UAH – for kitchen facilities;
• 2 billion UAH – for over 500 school buses.

Reform of Senior Specialized Schools

Additionally, the government has selected 150 academic lyceums to pilot the reform of senior specialized schools, which will launch in September 2026. Regions have already allocated around 3 billion UAH for logistics in these pilot institutions, with the state contributing an additional 3.5 billion UAH in co-financing for the same purpose. It is worth noting that approximately 54% of educational facilities have independent heating and power systems.

In February 2026, the Verkhovna Rada passed a law increasing salaries for extracurricular educators, and the government reallocated funds to equip school shelters. The Ministry of Education, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, has been instructed to resolve the issue of teacher salaries, underscoring the government's serious approach to addressing educational challenges.

The government's efforts to raise teacher salaries and improve learning conditions reflect a commitment to modernizing Ukraine's education system.

The implementation of new initiatives, such as the senior specialized school reform, also demonstrates a response to challenges facing education, particularly in terms of funding and ensuring adequate learning conditions. Collaboration between central authorities and local communities will be key to successfully implementing these changes.