On 29–30 July, the “Local and Regional Education” team of the Polaris programme conducted a two-day working visit to the Ovidiopol hromada in Odesa oblast. This visit marked the beginning of a new level of cooperation with education stakeholders – at the district level – complementing the existing partnerships at regional and local levels.
The programme’s experts held a conference for heads of education departments, school principals, and educators from Odesa oblast. Discussions focused on key topics of the education reform: establishing a network of academic lyceums, preparing teachers for new conditions, updating the legal framework, and the role of hromadas in driving transformation. The event was supported by the Odesa Oblast Military Administration and hosted at the Ovidiopol Lyceum named after Taras Shevchenko.
Ukrainian MP Serhii Koleboshyn, Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Science and Innovation, took part in the dialogue. He emphasised the irreversibility of the reform and the importance of grassroots participation, answered numerous questions from educators, and noted several proposals that could be considered in future legislative updates.
"We already work with hromadas and oblasts – now it's time for the rayons," said Polaris expert Serhii Diatlenko. "We’re particularly interested in how stable educational ties are at the district level, as this will be important when forming an effective lyceum network."
According to the experts, the district level has the potential to become a new platform for collective efforts to tackle educational challenges and to seek effective solutions. This kind of cooperation strengthens interaction and mutual support among hromadas.
"The Polaris programme has opened yet another level of communication – the rayon (district) level. And that’s symbolic. A rayon can become the space where local initiative meets regional policy. It is here that a new educational synergy can emerge – where hromadas cooperate and generate shared solutions instead of directives," highlighted Polaris education expert Viacheslav Dolid.
As Oleh Fasolia, Lead of the Education at Local Level component, summarised, the Ovidiopol experience will serve as a foundation for future approaches not only within Polaris, but also for other international technical assistance projects.
