The September visits of the Polaris education team became a logical continuation of their intensive work in previous weeks, covering dialogue with students, teachers and hromadas. Between 23 and 26 September, programme experts travelled to Poltava, Ternopil, Lviv and Rivne oblasts, signing Memoranda of Cooperation with new partner hromadas and initiating collaboration on reforming senior secondary education and developing effective school networks that respond both to the needs of children and to the capacities of hromadas.
Novooryzhytsia Hromada: Students, Parents And Deputies In One Dialogue
On 23–25 September, Polaris education expert Artem Horobets carried out three days of intensive work in Novooryzhytsia hromada, Poltava oblast. The programme included:
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workshops for 9th and 11th grade students in several schools (“My Educational Pathway” and “The Quality of Specialised Education”);
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dialogue platforms for teachers, parents and members of the settlement council;
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discussions on cooperation between local schools and the Lazirky vocational technical school.
“Consistent communication with education stakeholders is the key to understanding the essence of specialised secondary education reform and to developing senior secondary schools within the hromada. Workshops for students, dialogue platforms with deputies, parents and teachers create optimal opportunities for effective decisions to improve the quality of education services,” said Artem Horobets, Polaris education expert.
Svitlana Serdiuk, head of the hromada’s Department of Education, Youth, Sports, Culture and Tourism, noted:
“With the support of Polaris experts, we were able to look at education processes in a new way – from analysis and strategic planning to practical steps that are already producing tangible results. This partnership helps not only to discuss optimisation of education institutions, but also to bring them closer to the needs of children, parents and teachers.”
Berezhany Hromada: ‘Education for Life’ as a Guiding Principle
On 23 September in Berezhany, Ternopil oblast, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between Polaris and the city council. This marked the start of systemic work on building an effective school network and promoting education reforms and transformations aimed at improving the quality and accessibility of education for all learners, regardless of their place of residence. Experts will work with hromada stakeholders to build an understanding of “education for life” as the driving force of local education reform.
Stryi Hromada: A Step Towards Establishing A Sports Lyceum
On 24 September, Oleg Fasolia visited Stryi, meeting with Mayor Oleh Kanivets, his team and education managers. The discussions covered both achievements in education reform and the challenges of creating a sports lyceum.
“The city of Stryi and its leadership were not afraid to be the first in reforming local education, and they continue to advance these changes. Today we discussed the prospects, opportunities and challenges of establishing a sports lyceum,” said Oleg Fasolia, Team Lead of the Polaris “Education at the Local and Regional Levels” area.
Drohobych Hromada: Memorandum And The Voice Of Children
On 24–25 September, Polaris education experts Oleg Fasolia and Serhiy Dyatlenko visited Drohobych. The central event was the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the programme and the city council.
During the visit, they held meetings with the hromada leadership and education managers, discussing strengths and weaknesses of the local education system, optimisation of the school network, senior school reform and the challenges of developing specialised lyceums.
“Joining this programme is not only recognition of our readiness for change, but also an important step towards building a modern, effective and innovative education system in our hromada,” said Petro Shev’iak, Head of the Education Department.
Particular attention was given to the challenges of specialised education and the balance between academic and vocational training. Experts also highlighted the potential of Drohobych Talent Hub, which unites vocational education institutions and businesses to train highly skilled specialists.
Equally important was engagement with 9th–11th grade students during visits to the Bohdan Lepkyi Scientific Lyceum, Stebnyk Lyceum No. 7, Lyceum No. 3 named after Viacheslav Chornovil, and Lishnia Lyceum.
“Only by hearing the voices of children and taking their wishes into account can education reforms succeed. Senior students must be key partners in building the specialised secondary school,” emphasised education expert Serhiy Dyatlenko.
Rava-Ruska Hromada: Memorandum And The First Steps Of Cooperation
On 25–26 September, experts Oleg Fasolia, Olena Rusnachenko and Viacheslav Dolid worked in Rava-Ruska hromada, Lviv oblast. The visit began with the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between Polaris and the city council. This confirmed the hromada’s intention to establish an education system that accounts for its borderland specifics, ensures access to quality education and helps retain young people in Ukraine.
Over two days, the team visited schools, held meetings with managers, teachers and students. Central to the discussions were students’ readiness for change, their awareness of senior secondary education reform, and their expectations for future learning.
“Students are not just ‘consumers of education services’ – they are the alpha and omega, the meaning and ultimate purpose of reforms and transformations. Their views, doubts and expectations are the mirror of reform, and their trust is its greatest capital,” emphasised Polaris expert Viacheslav Dolid.
“It is important not only to assess students’ readiness for change but also to hear their expectations for learning. Such meetings help hromadas better understand the real situation and plan further decisions,” added Polaris education expert Olena Rusnachenko.
Experts stressed that continued cooperation with stakeholders would allow practical solutions for building an education system that meets the hromada’s unique needs.
Hoshcha Hromada: Concluding The September Visits
On 26 September, Oleg Fasolia visited Hoshcha hromada in Rivne oblast, where another Memorandum of Cooperation was signed. The ceremony was joined by Sofia Westberg, First Secretary of the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine, and Fredrik Djorkloo, Project Manager at the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency.
“Education is one of the areas that defines the future development of a hromada, which makes its prioritisation in times of reform an absolute necessity,” summed up Oleg Fasolia.
In Hoshcha, the Team Lead for "the Education at the local and regional levels" area also met with local education managers to discuss school network optimisation and prospects for implementing senior secondary education.
The September visits of the Polaris education team once again demonstrated that reform of specialised secondary education cannot succeed without broad dialogue. Students, parents, teachers, managers and deputies – all must be involved in the process.
