On 14–16 October, the team of the “Education at the Local and Regional Levels” area of the Polaris Programme continued a series of working visits to hromadas of the second wave of partnership. The purpose of these meetings was to deepen cooperation with local education authorities, teaching staff, students, and parent communities to shape a modern, flexible, and capable school network.
The first visit took place on 14–15 October in Shpola hromada, Cherkasy oblast, where education experts of the Programme Serhiy Dyatlenko and Tetiana Ozerova held meetings with Acting Mayor Anatolii Storchak, Deputy Mayor Iryna Kalandyrets, Head of the Education Department Oksana Riznyk, as well as with school principals, teachers, parents, and students of grades 9–11.
The discussions focused on modernising the community’s education network, establishing a multidisciplinary academic lyceum, organising specialised upper secondary education, and developing individual educational pathways for students.
According to the experts, creating a modern multidisciplinary lyceum with well-equipped classrooms, laboratories, and professional teaching staff requires the combined efforts of the entire education management system of the hromada and the involvement of local stakeholders in the systemic processes of educational transformation.
The visit also included workshops and focus groups among lyceum students. The survey results showed that:
- 73% of 9th-grade graduates are not ready to change their school to receive specialised education necessary for their future profession;
- half of upper secondary students who plan to continue to grade 10 do not have a clear understanding of which specialisation to choose.
Discussions with parents revealed that many families do not fully understand the essence of the upper secondary school reform, while teachers express caution and uncertainty about the upcoming changes. At the same time, the local authorities demonstrate strong interest in quality transformation of the school network and are actively looking for financial ways to modernise educational institutions.
“We can see that hromadas are increasingly taking responsibility for the development of education. It is at the local level today that the future of Ukrainian schools is being shaped – through partnership, initiative, and openness to change,” – said Serhiy Dyatlenko, education expert of the Polaris Programme.
On 15–16 October, the team also visited Kryvyi Rih hromada, Dnipropetrovsk oblast. Polaris Programme experts Oleh Fasolya and Artem Horobets met with the city leadership, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation, and agreed on the next steps. The document envisages developing a strategic approach to forming an efficient education network, improving the quality of specialised upper secondary education, and enhancing the professional competencies of teaching teams.
During the visit, the experts held a comprehensive meeting with Acting Mayor and City Council Secretary Yurii Vilkul, Head of the City Defence Council Oleksandr Vilkul, Deputy Mayor Serhii Miliutin, and Director of the Department of Education and Science Tetiana Kripak. The participants discussed the reform of the local education network and further implementation of the upper secondary school reform.
Kryvyi Rih – Ukraine’s largest industrial centre – has a unique educational ecosystem. Its example proves that an effective education network cannot be designed ‘from above’ – from the capital or a regional centre – using universal templates. Each hromada has its own conditions, resources, and challenges that require an individual approach. That is why Polaris experts are working directly with local educational stakeholders to identify needs, opportunities, and specific features that will underpin the city’s educational modernisation,” – said Oleh Fasolya, Head of the “Education at the Local and Regional Levels” area of the Polaris Programme.
The visit also included focus groups, workshops for students, and dialogue platforms for teachers and administrators. One of the highlights was the workshop for lyceum principals “Upper Secondary School: Strategy for the Development of Kryvyi Rih Hromada”, which became a space for open discussion of the challenges and opportunities of optimising the education network.
“The comparison of students’ answers clearly showed that lyceums should be separate from gymnasiums – only then does the choice become conscious and personal. Participants also emphasised that teacher mobility between schools is natural and a demand of our time. The impressions from the meeting are extremely positive – I believe it inspired many to rethink their perspectives and approaches,” – shared Svitlana Nehria, Deputy Principal of Kryvyi Rih Pokrovskyi Lyceum.
The working visits of the Polaris education experts demonstrated that the hromadas of the second wave of partnership are ready not only to join ongoing reforms but also to create their own education management models, grounded in data, teacher engagement, and strategic vision. Step by step, such partnerships are building a resilient and innovative educational ecosystem of Ukraine.
