On 18–19 March, strategic events were held in Teofipol (Khmelnytskyi region) to establish an effective system of general secondary education institutions, with the support of the Swedish-Ukrainian Polaris Programme.
Discussions focused on the implementation of the senior specialised school reform, the optimisation of the education system, and the establishment of a future academic lyceum in the community.
During two days, the programme’s experts conducted a simulation game, a workshop, an open dialogue with pupils’ parents, and a meeting with local deputies. This approach enabled all stakeholders – local authorities, educators, parents and pupils – to be involved in the discussion with a view to finding joint solutions.
According to Mykhailo Tenenev, Нead of the Teofipol community, quality education is the shared responsibility of all educational stakeholders, and the senior school reform itself must be brought to a successful conclusion, as a specialised school means both motivated pupils and motivated teachers.
The key event of the visit to Teofipol was the simulation game ‘Optimisation of the School System’, in which participants (local government representatives, school directors, teachers, deputies, starostas, parents, and pupils) were able to simulate real-life management decisions. In the process, they analysed statistical data, assessed the effectiveness of educational services, calculated the logistics of transporting pupils, class sizes and access to quality education.
“We work with communities not in theory, but through practical action. Such approaches allow us to see the real-world consequences of decisions and identify balanced models that take into account the interests of everyone – from pupils to school management“, said Artem Gorobets, an expert with the Polaris Programme.
Representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine also joined the initiative, including Olena Popova, Chief Specialist at the Ministry’s Directorate of School Education, who noted the importance of open dialogue in the reform process: “Engaging government officials, educators, pupils and their parents in open dialogue, taking different viewpoints into account and jointly seeking solutions helps to minimise risks and ensure high-quality changes in the community’s education system.”
During a dialogue session with parents of pupils in Years 8 and 9 from three secondary schools in Teofipol, participants discussed the opportunities and challenges involved in establishing a senior specialised school, as well as the importance of making an informed choice regarding educational pathways after Year 9. The discussion was lively but constructive, demonstrating the community’s strong commitment to change.
At the same time, a workshop for educational management was held, during which participants analysed demographic data and the results of surveys of pupils and teachers, and developed a strategy for the academic lyceum’s development.
An important part of the visit was a meeting with deputies of the Teofipol Settlement Council, during which Artem Gorobets, an expert with the Polaris Programme, outlined the case for the relevance of upper secondary school reform to the community – as a means of personalising education, better preparing pupils for their future careers, and making more efficient use of educational resources.
Lyudmyla Storozhuk-Tymoshik, Head of the Education Department at the Teofipol Settlement Council, said that the community needs not just cosmetic fixes, but a systematic vision for the development of the school network: high-quality, modern education is only possible if there is a capable system of schools, a safe and modern learning environment, support for teachers, and equal access for all children to a high-quality education.
Following the results of this joint effort, on 19 March 2026, the eighth session of the Teofipol Settlement Council unanimously adopted a resolution ‘On the Approval of the Plan for the Optimisation of the System of General Secondary Education Institutions of the Teofipol (Khmelnytskyi Region) for 2026–2027’.
In this way, the two-day visit to Teofipol was not only a platform for dialogue, but also an example of how a combination of professional facilitation, open communication with the community and a willingness to take decisions can lead to concrete changes.
