A week of sharing experiences and jointly seeking solutions for educational reforms: from the development of vocational education and a modern career guidance system for children and adolescents, with a focus on blue-collar professions, to the introduction of dual training as an effective approach to training in-demand specialists. Organised by a team from the Zurich University of Teacher Education, the visit aimed to facilitate the exchange of best practices on the implement

Currently, within the framework of DECIDE project, four teams of experts are providing consultation to communities across four macro-regions: since March, the experts have held 263 in-person meetings and 382 online meetings in 567 communities in 22 regions of Ukraine – representing 40% of the communities in the country. As of October 2025, there had been over 300 such consultations, and since then their number has doubled. Almost 13,000 participants – including representative

Since the beginning of April this year, a team of experts – Yurii Orel, Alla Bondar, and Olena Hulenko – has held 10 consultation meetings in Poltava region: in Novoorzhytska, Romodanivska, Velykobahachanska, Hoholivska, Hrebinkivska, Lubenska, Myrhorodska, Shyshatska, Bilotserkivska, and Khorolska communities. ‘We have seen different communities. But there is one thing they all have in common – debates about specialised schools are becoming more practical. Meetings like thes

«Why does the founder's decision to change the educational activities of the lyceum need to be backed up by a licence, and why does it not work without it?» The reform of specialised secondary education raises practical questions for communities: how to act correctly in cases where the educational activities of general secondary schools are terminated (restricted) or expanded, and where the line lies between an administrative decision by the founder and the requirements of li

Luhansk region is one of those most affected by the war. Schools have been destroyed, infrastructure lost, and after months of anxiety and threats, in-person education remains impossible. Over the past six years, DECIDE has worked closely with communities in the region, helping to restore access to quality and safe education, implement reforms, and plan the strategic development of general secondary and vocational education. Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager, noted,

The new Memorandum provides a broad framework for partnership and lays the foundations for long-term, systematic cooperation aimed to comprehensively develop education in communities. The document aims to strengthen the capacity of local self-government in implementing educational reforms, particularly with regard to ensuring the quality of education, developing specialised senior secondary schools, introducing a career guidance system, and fostering local democracy through e

On 16–17 April, a workshop on 'Development of Education in Communities' was held in Zhytomyr. The event was organised within the framework of professional training for heads of education departments in the communities of the region and marked the final stage of a professional development programme, which had been running in a blended format since 30 March, covered 17 topics, and engaged representatives from 66 communities. Key speakers at the event included: Nadiia Kuzmychova

«When does transportation become one of key factors in the accessibility of specialised education?» The reform of specialised secondary education in Ukraine, which is effectively a continuation of the New Ukrainian School (NUS) reform, provides for the creation of a network of lyceums, where students in Grades 10–12 will receive specialised secondary education from September 2027. The legal basis for this reform is primarily set out in the Law of Ukraine ‘On Education’ and th

The competitive selection process for partner communities in Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions took almost three months. The Selection Committee received 231 applications from communities in the eight partner regions. Following two selection stages, which included the analysis of applications, interviews, expert evaluations and meetings with the leadership teams of the communities, 40 communities were selected to participate in

The workshop ‘Reform of Specialised Senior Secondary Schools: Opportunities and Challenges for Communities’ was held in Zhytomyr on 15 April as the final part of the professional development programme. Forty-four community leaders from Zhytomyr region and their deputies responsible for education attended the event. The implementation of specialised secondary education reform, with a particular focus on the region’s specific characteristics, was discussed with: Nadiia Kuzmycho

The document was signed by Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager, and Vitalii Bunechko, Head of the Zhytomyr Regional State Administration. Zhytomyr region was selected as a partner region for DECIDE Project, and the next five years of joint work will be focused on the restoration and development of education in the communities of Zhytomyr and the region as a whole. Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager, noted, ‘Our partnership with Zhytomyr region is based on syste

The document was signed by Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager, and Svitlana Onyshchuk, Head of the Regional Military Administration. The strategic partnership will continue amidst the recovery and reform of the education sector. ‘We have already been working together with Ivano-Frankivsk region for six years – this is about trust, results, and a partnership that has withstood difficult times. Today, we are not simply extending this cooperation until 2030 – we are deep

The reform of specialised secondary education is neither a new nor a recently adopted decision. It has been an integral part of the ‘New Ukrainian School’ reform since 2017. Its practical implementation will begin in September 2027. Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, emphasises the fundamental importance of educational reform and its role in shaping the future of the country, ‘This reform, the need for which had been evident since Ukraine gained inde

The Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project and the Lviv Regional State Administration have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation for the period until 2030 – a document that marks the launch of a new phase of systematic support and development for education in Lviv region. The Memorandum was signed by Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager, and Maksym Kozytskyi, Head of the Lviv Regional State Administration. The strategic partnership will continue amidst the recovery and reform of t

Poltava, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernihiv, and Odesa regions hosted workshops on ‘Reform of Specialised Secondary Schools: Opportunities and Challenges for Communities’, bringing together community leaders, their specialised deputies, and heads of education departments and directorates. Together with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Poltava Regional State Administration, the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration, the Chernihiv Regional State Administrat

To successfully implement the reform, the first step is to establish a capable of effective educational institutions. For this reason, DECIDE Project experts – Petro Hotsaliuk, Khrystyna Duda, and Ihor Melnychuk – together with local authorities, educators, and parents from the Halytska, Dubovetska, and Bilshivtsivska communities, met to discuss how to ensure access to high-quality specialised secondary education. The experts held separate meetings in Yezupilska and Kosmatska

«Can a “gymnasium” branch be part of a gymnasium? Analysis of the legislation» In the context of the reform of specialised secondary education, a question arises: can a type of general secondary education institution such as a “gymnasium” have a separate structural unit (branch) in which educational activities are conducted at the level of, in particular, basic secondary education (the “gymnasium” level)? The answer is: It can. This possibility is provided for by the followin

The concluding workshop ‘Reform of Specialised Senior Secondary Schools: Opportunities and Challenges for Communities’ was held on 25 March in Odesa. The event brought together mayors and responsible deputies from 52 communities in Odesa region. The training programme also included an online component. Special attention was paid to integrating the reform into communities’ strategic planning, and to approaches to planning the network of academic lyceums in strategic documents.

«What opportunities and benefits does establishing an academic lyceum from scratch offer? Step-by-step analysis» The reform of specialised secondary education requires balanced strategic decisions from communities on the establishment of academic lyceums. One of the key issues is determining the optimal establishment procedure that will comply with legal requirements, ensure the high quality and competitiveness of specialised education, and minimise potential risks and proble

Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager, and Mykola Kalashnyk, Head of Kyiv Regional Military Administration, signed the Memorandum. The strategic partnership will continue as the education sector undergoes recovery and reform. ‘Our cooperation with Kyiv region over the next five years is not simply about supporting individual changes, but about the systematic implementation of reforms in education, strategic planning for development, and strengthening the links between ed