For the Polaris education team, August became a month of intensive dialogue and strategic meetings. The forum in Slavuta, the pedagogical conference in Zolochiv hromada, and the discussion in Uman united educators, administrators, and experts around the transformation of the school network. At the center of attention were the role of gymnasiums as a foundation for quality education, the challenges of upper secondary schools, and the search for models capable of ensuring accessibility and sustainability of educational services. These events served not only as platforms for exchanging experience but also for developing practical solutions to help communities adapt to new conditions and lay the groundwork for future changes.
Gymnasium at the Center of Change: Forum in Slavuta
On 25 August, the educational forum “Gymnasium at the Center of Change: Strategies and Values” was held at Slavuta Gymnasium “Uspikh.” The event brought together education administrators, teachers from 11 communities in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Polaris Programme experts, and representatives of the Rivne Regional Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education.
The main idea of the forum was to show that a gymnasium is not an intermediary but a self-sufficient element of education capable of becoming a foundation for specialized learning. Participants discussed the challenges and prospects of gymnasium development, shared experiences, and developed practical tools for their work. The forum became a platform for open dialogue and confirmed that education reform is primarily about people, their values, and their willingness to create a future for children.
“The forum showed that education is not just about documents or structures, but about people and their readiness to change. This is where the future for children is born,” emphasized Oleg Fasolya, Head of the “Education on Local and Regional Level” direction of the Polaris Programme.
Participants discussed the place of gymnasiums in the new educational architecture, their potential as a foundation for specialized education, and practical challenges in forming the school network. In interactive formats—discussions and workshops—they worked on tools for strategic planning, internal quality systems, and career guidance.
“I believe the forum in Slavuta will become a starting point for new partnerships, new ideas, and new steps in developing community school networks. Most importantly, each of us will return to our school or community not only with new knowledge but with a sense of unity and confidence: together, we are shaping education that forms the foundation of our state and guarantees its future,” summarized Polaris expert Vyacheslav Dolid.
Upper Secondary School in Focus: Dialogue in Zolochiv Hromada
On 28 August, the pedagogical conference “Education in Focus of Change” took place in Zolochiv Hromada, Kyiv Oblast, organized jointly with the Polaris Programme. More than 40 participants—including local authorities, education department representatives, school directors, and parent committees—discussed the prospects and challenges of the upper secondary school reform.
Polaris expert Artem Horobets presented an analytical overview of demographic trends, legislative requirements, and possible models for optimizing the lyceum network. Discussions included profile clusters, new trajectories for students, and the role of teams of like-minded professionals in implementing the reform.
“The dialogue platform became a space for communication with all educational stakeholders in Zolochiv Hromada—from leadership and education authorities to teachers, deputies, and heads of parent committees. Sharp questions, well-reasoned answers, and lively discussions helped better understand the upper secondary school reform, revise approaches, outline ways to improve the quality of educational services, and discuss options for creating an effective school network,” noted Polaris expert Artem Horobets.
“One of the priorities of our community’s education sector is implementing the upper secondary school reform. We understand the challenges we face, but today’s dialogue showed that only together, as a unified team, can we implement changes and create a modern, high-quality educational space for children,” emphasized Yuliya Oleshko, Head of the Department of Humanitarian Development of Zolochiv Village Council.
August Education Meeting in Uman
On the same day in Uman, Cherkasy Oblast, Polaris experts Oleg Fasolya and Serhiy Dyatlenko held a meeting with community leaders, education managers, and directors of key schools in the district. Central topics included the reasons and necessity for upper secondary school reform, the vision for new academic lyceums, and the possibilities for forming an effective educational network in communities.
“Upper secondary school reform is not just about changing curricula and school names. It is a complex process that requires communities to have strategic vision, involve teachers, parents, and local leaders in joint decision-making, and build an effective educational network that guarantees the quality of learning,” noted Polaris education expert Serhiy Dyatlenko.
The dialogue addressed how to ensure education quality and rational use of financial resources, the role of teachers and parents in educational changes, and how to build effective teamwork at the district level.
“Forming educational management teams at the district level is extremely important and necessary, because it is here that effective communication can be established to achieve a shared result, which would be impossible for each community to achieve individually,” emphasized Polaris expert Oleg Fasolya.
Discussions were held in an open format with examples, arguments, and risk assessments to jointly find the most realistic ways to implement the reform.
The August educational events of Polaris demonstrated that the key to successful education reform lies in open dialogue, collaborative work of communities and professional teams, and the readiness to view gymnasiums and upper secondary schools not formally, but as spaces of opportunity for children’s future.
