Another format of engagement with educational stakeholders has joined the toolkit of the Polaris education team – and participants noted that it proved effective. On 15 August, an educational discussion titled “How to Avoid Mimicking Senior School Reform?” took place in Chernivtsi. Its aim was to provide hromadas, schools, and education authorities with practical tools for the successful implementation of reforms.
The event brought together representatives of education authorities, regional and local council deputies, directors of general secondary schools, and teachers. The discussion included several blocks, from analysing the relevance of the reform to practical steps for hromadas and schools, as well as incorporating students’ perspectives.
Reform Must Be Understood and Accepted by Society
Oleh Fasolia, Team Lead of the Education on Local Level Direction of the Polaris programme and moderator of the discussion, emphasised:
“The reform will be successful if it is understood and accepted by society. This is why communication activities are so crucial. It is also important not to lose heart, not to fall for populism or get caught up in minor details, but to look for ways to solve problems rather than reasons why something seems impossible.”
According to Oleh Fasolia, the success of senior school reform depends on teachers’ readiness for change, attention to students’ opinions, and society’s understanding of the reform’s importance. He reminded participants that a previous attempt to implement senior school reform in 2008 failed due to organisational challenges and insufficient preparedness of the teaching community.
Community Experience as a Foundation for Success
Co-organiser of the event, Natalya Mytoshop, Head of the Education Department of the Volodymyr-Volynskyi hromada, shared practical experience in establishing a “pure” academic lyceum named after O. Tsynkalovskyi, where only grades 10–11 study, while the primary school operates as a separate unit.
“Learning from others is a step towards our own success. We were able to show how a hromada, school, and experts can jointly create an effective model of an academic lyceum,” said Natalya Mytoshop.
Oksana Sakrier, Director of the Department of Education and Science of the Chernivtsi Oblast State Administration, emphasised that the reform’s implementation in Chernivtsi oblast is carried out according to the Roadmap approved by the department’s board. Key tasks for hromadas and schools include analysing learning profiles, planning the capacity of institutions, ensuring staffing with qualified teachers, and developing the lyceum’s strategic plan.
The Importance of Dialogue and Practical Steps
The discussion focused on key issues:
- Teachers’ readiness for change;
- Students’ needs and opinions;
- Avoiding populism and focusing on problem-solving;
- The role of hromadas in creating conditions for successful reform.
Oleh Fasolia concluded:
“Reforming content, environment, and tools is the foundation for success. Hromadas need to learn to work alongside schools and teachers, not just wait for results from above.”
The final stage of the discussion was the interactive session “Change to Survive!”, where participants exchanged views on the issues raised, speakers answered questions, and future paths of cooperation were discussed.
The educational discussion in Chernivtsi confirmed that successful senior school reform is possible only through active collaboration among hromadas, teachers, students, and experts. The experience of hromadas already implementing elements of the reform is invaluable for other regions. Such events not only unite participants in the educational process but also provide practical tools for achieving tangible results.
