This week, the Polaris Programme continued its systematic work with hromadas in implementing the senior specialised school reform and strengthening evidence-based management decisions in the education sector. Key issues included teacher certification, designing an optimal school network, and building dialogue with student and parent communities regarding the educational trajectories of upper secondary students.
Expert Visits of the Education Team to Ternopil Oblast: Berezhany Hromada
On 4–5 November, the education team, with the participation of Polaris Programme experts Serhii Dyatlenko and Olena Rusnachenko, worked in Berezhany Hromada with three educational institutions, including lyceums that have already begun preparations for the transition to specialised upper secondary education.
During the meetings:
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school principals and the education department analysed demographic trends and the capacity of the school network;
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students of Grades 9 and 11 discussed career plans, interests and motivation;
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teachers shared their experience in working with individual educational trajectories.
A separate dialogue was held with parents on the importance of making an informed choice of educational specialisation.
“The visit to Berezhany Hromada once again confirmed: optimisation of the school network cannot be a universal one-size-fits-all solution. Every hromada has its own context – history, demographics, school teams, expectations of children and parents. That is why we begin with dialogue, joint analysis, and the search for solutions that match local capacities and ambitions. Only then does educational reform become real and alive.”
— Olena Rusnachenko, Education Expert, Polaris Programme
Consultation Visit to Pochayiv Hromada
On 6 November, Polaris Programme education expert Viacheslav Dolid visited Pochayiv Hromada in Ternopil Oblast, where he held a series of meetings with the administrations of two schools, hromada leadership, and representatives of parent communities.
The focus included:
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readiness of the school network to form the lyceum level;
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transport accessibility for students from rural settlements;
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parents’ expectations regarding the quality and safety of the educational environment.
Additionally, a meeting was held with the education management of Kremenets City Council to discuss opportunities for inter-municipal cooperation in ensuring access to quality specialised education.
“Specialised education must be accessible not only in large cities. The real choice of future educational trajectories for children – and the quality of preparation for their future profession – depends on decisions that the hromada makes jointly with schools and parents.”
— Viacheslav Dolid, Education Expert, Polaris Programme
Certification as a Tool for Development: Key Insights from a Webinar for School Leaders
Also on 6 November, Polaris Programme education experts Serhii Dyatlenko and Tetiana Ozerova held a webinar on “Specifics of Organising the Certification Process”, with 45 participants – school leaders, certification commission members, and education management representatives.
The discussion focused on practical approaches to conducting certification in the 2025/2026 academic year and addressed the most frequent questions arising in the process.
Three key questions were examined:
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how to ensure fairness and transparency of decisions;
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how to build constructive dialogue with a teacher during the evaluation of professional activity;
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how to use certification as a tool for development rather than a formality.
Key highlights included:
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requirements for mandatory documentation (diplomas, professional development certificates, evidence of professional mastery);
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the option of using professional development hours accumulated over five years and applying them across multiple teaching positions;
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approaches to determining qualification categories and teaching titles.
“Certification and teacher certification exams may lead to the same result – the awarding of a qualification category or title. But the effort and nature of these processes differ. Certification is voluntary and impartial; teacher certification is mandatory and more formalised. The teacher chooses the path of their professional growth. The school’s task is to support and help during certification.”
— Tetiana Ozerova, Education Expert
“The value of certification lies in supporting the professional development of teachers and the growth of the school as a whole. When we approach certification as a conversation about strengths, needs and direction – it becomes a resource for the team, not a formality.”
— Serhii Dyatlenko, Education Expert
Polaris remains focused on the main goal – strengthening the capacity of hromadas to make informed management decisions in education, supporting teachers in professional development, and building real opportunities for students to shape their future. Step by step, through dialogue, analysis and responsible planning, systemic change takes shape – and Polaris continues this path together with hromadas.
