At the beginning of February, the Polaris Programme continued its systemic work with hromadas in the education sector, focusing on key issues of educational governance, the distribution of powers, and the transformation of the educational network. Online and on-site events brought together local government representatives, education managers, school directors, teachers, and council members around a shared goal – to build a clear, accountable, and sustainable model of local-level education management.
Clear distribution of powers as the foundation for effective governance
On 5 February, Polaris local education expert Serhiy Dyatlenko and Olena Kres, Head of the Education Department of Semenivka hromada in Chernihiv oblast, held a webinar titled “Distribution of Powers in the Education Sector of Territorial Hromadas”. Participants included hromada heads and their deputy leads, education management officers, local council deputies, and directors of general secondary education institutions.
The webinar aimed not only to explain legislative norms but also to jointly analyse how these norms work (or fail to work) in real hromada conditions. The focus was on the responsibilities of local government in education, the limits of the founder’s authority, the role of the education management body, and the schools themselves, as well as on practical governance mechanisms for implementing these powers.
Serhiy Dyatlenko highlighted a key challenge faced by most hromadas: the lack of a clearly defined and unified model for the operation of the education management body. According to him, this often leads to conflicts of authority, management overloads, or, conversely, a loss of accountability:
“The education management body often operates in a ‘grey zone’ – between the founder’s expectations, school requests, and gaps in regulatory frameworks. Without clear internal rules and trust from the hromada, this model becomes unstable.”
A lively discussion arose around school reorganisation and closures. Olena Kres emphasised the need for early planning of such decisions, relying on demographic data and projections of class sizes, as well as the importance of well-structured communication with parents, teachers, and the local public. Experts stressed that public discussion does not imply automatic agreement but is a mandatory condition for the legitimacy of governance decisions.
The webinar also served as a platform for inter-municipal experience exchange, with hromadas sharing their approaches to distributing powers, internal regulations, and management decisions that help prevent conflicts and maintain a balance between oversight and trust.
Educational network and hromada experience: Khotyn Hromada
In parallel with online activities, the Polaris Programme conducted an on-site expert visit to Khotyn territorial hromada in Chernivtsi oblast. On 4–5 February, expert Tetiana Ozerova provided practical support for the transformation of the educational network.
The first day focused on advisory support for the education management body, particularly in preparing a draft decision on the transformation of the hromada’s educational institutions. Special attention was given to a dialogic platform for teachers of primary and secondary rural schools, providing an opportunity to discuss the reform of general secondary education, express concerns, and assess readiness for change.
Tetiana Ozerova emphasised the importance of engaging the teaching community:
“The transformation of the educational network cannot take place solely through documents and council decisions. It begins with conversations with teachers – about fears, expectations, professional roles, and the future of the school. Without this, no reform will be sustainable.”
On the second day, the city council secretary and deputies met with the heads of general secondary education institutions to discuss the draft decision on network transformation and the next steps for implementing management decisions. City Council Secretary Serhiy Yakuba stressed that the time for political decisions in education has come, and that joint decisions are the responsibility of education managers, the teaching community, and the founder – all in the interest of children and their right to quality education.
Despite the different formats – webinar and on-site expert support – all events were united by a common logic. The focus is on moving from a formal distribution of powers to an informed responsibility at each level: founder, education management body, school leadership, and teaching team.
