Ukrainian Students Face Three Different School Types: What the New Education Reform Changes

Overhaul of Ukraine’s School System

According to Главком: Ukraine’s education reform, known as the New Ukrainian School (NUS), launched in 2017 and restructures schooling into three distinct levels: primary school (grades 1–4), gymnasium (grades 5–9), and specialized lyceums (grades 10–12). This change has sparked significant pushback from parents, as it requires children to attend three separate institutions. Additional concerns include logistical and safety issues in small communities, along with criticism from educators over insufficient teacher training and unclear admission criteria for lyceums.

Challenges and Obstacles

Under the reform, the three school levels must operate in separate locations. After completing primary school and gymnasium, students must take the National Multi-Subject Test to advance to the next stage. Notably, the final year of some academic lyceums will be equivalent to the first year of a bachelor’s degree program. A starting teacher’s base salary is just over 8,000 hryvnias. In Kyiv, many teachers work 2.5 full-time equivalent positions, highlighting the heavy workload in the profession.

Small communities face particular difficulties. For example, children from the village of Ivankivtsi must travel about 25 kilometers to school, with 15 kilometers of that route lacking mobile phone coverage. This creates added hardships for students and their families.

As Nadia Leshchyk noted, 'the absence of an educational institution within the community does not relieve the local government of its duty to provide conditions for children to obtain a full general secondary education.'

Educators also worry about teachers’ readiness for new requirements. Ruslan Sheremeta believes that 'education needs its own Suprun,' underscoring the need for reforms in personnel training. He also argues that 'the reform should have started 30 years ago,' emphasizing the importance of revising teacher salaries.

Ihor Likarchuk, former director of the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment, supports the NUS but points out:

'we are essentially limiting a child's right to choose.'

According to him, high school students will be able to select from specialized tracks such as physics-mathematics, technical, arts, or sports.

Ukraine’s school reform remains a topic of debate and criticism, as its implementation faces numerous challenges that require urgent solutions.

The New Ukrainian School represents a crucial step in modernizing the country’s education system and aims to meet contemporary demands. However, despite its positive intentions, the reform encounters serious issues that need attention, including teacher preparation, logistical hurdles for students in remote communities, and changes in the organization of the learning process. It is essential that all stakeholders-from government bodies to parents-actively collaborate to ensure the successful implementation of these changes.

As Ukraine's education system undergoes significant changes, the government's recent approval of new high school regulations adds another layer of complexity for students and parents. These updated rules, which will come into effect in 2026, aim to address some of the challenges posed by the current reform. Understanding these upcoming adjustments is crucial for navigating the evolving educational landscape. For more details on the new regulations and their implications, visit the latest updates on high school changes.