Late January 2026 within the Polaris Programme became a clear example of comprehensive work with hromadas in the field of education – from strategic planning of educational system development to managerial decision-making in inclusive education. The combination of an expert visit to the Hoshcha settlement territorial hromada and a thematic governance webinar for management and teaching teams of educational institutions demonstrated the Programme’s integrated approach to developing local educational ecosystems as a key element of hromada recovery and capacity building.
A Strategic Vision of Education in the Hromada as a Governance Resource for Development
On 29 January, Polaris Programme experts Viacheslav Dolid and Oleh Fasolia conducted a working visit to the Hoshcha hromada, focused on a strategic analysis of the current state and future prospects of the local education system in the context of the upper secondary school reform and the transformation of governance models at the local level.
The work began with a managerial meeting with the head of the hromada, during which key challenges in the education sector were identified as part of the hromada’s overall development strategy. The discussion focused on resource and staffing constraints, demographic dynamics, governance priorities, and expectations related to the implementation of the upper secondary school reform.
A subsequent strategic session with representatives of the education management body, heads of general secondary education institutions, and other stakeholders was built around an analytical assessment of the hromada’s educational network. A SWOT analysis helped to outline the strengths and weaknesses of educational infrastructure, governance processes, and human resources, as well as to identify development opportunities and risks in the context of wartime conditions, demographic change, and education policy transformation. Particular attention was given to developing governance scenarios for future decisions – from optimising the network of educational institutions to strategic planning of upper secondary education as part of the hromada’s long-term education policy.
An important component of the work was the presentation of results from a survey of hromada residents on the quality of educational services. The analysis of public opinion made it possible to capture levels of satisfaction with education, expectations regarding changes in the upper secondary system, awareness of education reforms, and potential social risks associated with governance transformations. In this way, strategic planning in education was integrated with participatory governance approaches and consideration of the hromada as an active stakeholder in development.
A separate analytical block focused on the results of surveys of Year 9 and Year 11 students of Hoshcha Academic Lyceum and Hoshcha Lyceum. The focus was on young people’s educational needs, their readiness for changes in the structure of upper secondary education, levels of satisfaction with the educational environment, and plans for further education and professional self-determination.
Inclusive Education as a Governance System, not a Formal Policy
In parallel with the local-level work, on 29 January Polaris Programme experts Olena Rusnachenko and Tetiana Ozerova delivered a webinar entitled Inclusive Learning: Governance Priorities, aimed at management and teaching teams of general secondary education institutions.
The focus of the event was not so much on regulatory frameworks as on the governance logic of organising inclusive education as a systemic process. Inclusion was presented as an integral part of an educational institution’s governance culture, encompassing planning, monitoring, data analysis, decision-making, and accountability, rather than as the formal fulfilment of legal requirements.
A key emphasis was placed on monitoring the implementation of Individual Development Programmes (IDPs) and using the results for governance decisions. Monitoring was presented as a quality management tool for the educational process, enabling not only assessment of a child’s development dynamics but also adjustments to educational programmes, support resources, and organisational models of institutional work.
A separate governance dimension concerned the adaptation and modification of educational programmes. The webinar clearly distinguished between these concepts: adaptation as changes to learning conditions without altering content, and modification as transformation of content and assessment criteria in line with a child’s educational needs. This approach shapes a new governance culture of individualised planning, where the educational programme becomes a flexible tool rather than a rigid structure.
Significant attention was also paid to the assessment of learning outcomes of students with special educational needs. Assessment was considered not as a formal procedure but as part of an institution’s educational strategy, based on individualised criteria, principles of non-discrimination, alignment with IDPs, and collegial governance decisions of pedagogical councils.
The webinar also highlighted the governance responsibility of educational institutions for education certificates issued to students with special educational needs, the legal correctness of procedures, communication with parents, and the legitimacy of educational decisions. In this logic, inclusive education emerges as a system of multilevel governance – from the classroom and support team to institutional management decisions and the policies of education management bodies.
The combination of strategic work in the Hoshcha hromada and the governance webinar on inclusive education demonstrates the Polaris Programme’s approach to education as a key instrument for hromada recovery. The education system is viewed not only as a network of institutions but as part of a broader hromada-centred development model, where the hromada strategy, the education management strategy, and the strategy of the educational institution together form a unified governance ecosystem.
Within this approach, education becomes a space for building trust, social cohesion, human capital, and governance capacity of hromadas. This is why the expert support of the Polaris Programme is aimed not merely at individual projects, but at developing strategic models for education at local and regional levels as a foundation for resilience, recovery, and the long-term development of Ukrainian hromadas.
