Hleiuvatska community in Dnipropetrovsk region is situated just 15 minutes from the city of Kryvyi Rih. For many, this would mean an inevitable drain of young people to the big city; however, here the authorities decided to take pre-emptive action. The community is convinced that career guidance is not simply a matter of vocation, but of the economic survival of the entire community. ‘Nowadays, careers guidance is about who will be working in our hospital, school or in the fi

Whenever people talk today about overcoming the educational losses caused by the war or the pandemic, the first things that come to mind are gaps in knowledge of maths or chemistry. However, in Olevska community in Zhytomyr region, they have taken a deeper look at the matter. ‘There is another aspect to this problem, one that is common nationwide: children often have no idea at all what they want to be or what they really like,’ argues Vira Kovalchuk, Acting Head of the Depar

In 2026, teachers’ salaries will increase in two stages. Following a 30% increase in January, the basic salaries of teaching staff will rise by a further 20% from 1 September. Overall, teachers’ salaries will rise by 50% over the year compared with last year. Importantly, this is not a bonus but an increase in the basic salary itself. Since bonuses and allowances are calculated on the basis of this basic salary, the total monthly salary will also increase. However, from 1 Sep

‘When, at the end of each day, a child asks with eyes that light up, “What are we going to do tomorrow?”, you realise that everything has gone well. Our children not only relax – every day they make new discoveries about themselves, their region and their own future in Ukraine,’ says Yuliia Shaposhnyk, a teacher at the Reshetylivka Hub Lyceum run by the Reshetylivka City Council. In Reshetylivska community in Poltava region, DECIDE Summer Clubs “We are at home – in Ukraine” i

We heard such feedback this summer in virtually every community where the DECIDE Summer Clubs “We are at home – in Ukraine” were organised. As previously reported, career guidance was the main theme of our summer clubs this year. This was indeed a fantastic experience! During the summer, the children and teenagers who participated in the clubs attended 391 career guidance events and toured more than 300 locations. Overall, DECIDE Summer Clubs 2026 “We are at home – in Ukraine

On 18 August, the annual “Serpneva–2026” education conference was held in Kyiv, this year under the slogan “Education is shared responsibility”. More than 700 participants attended the event. The conference brought together educators, education administrators, government officials, international partners, businesses, and civil society organisations to discuss educational transformations and preparation for the new academic year 2026/27. First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, P

At “Serpneva-2026”, Jacques Gerber, the Swiss Federal Council Delegate for Ukraine, will speak about the role of Switzerland as a partner in the development of education and community support; he will join the event to deliver a special address. Meanwhile, during the panel discussion “From Education to Career: New Role of Vocational and Professional Pre-Higher Education”, Philippe Brügger, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the Swiss Embassy in Ukraine, will speak about the Swiss

How can we assess the effectiveness of expenditure on education, identify strategic priorities, and ensure the optimal use of budget resources? During the workshop “How much does my school cost? How can communities stop funding the process and start funding development?”, we will present the AIKOM-2 Finance Module – a practical tool for working with data on education funding. Together with Mariia Drobot (Mishchenkova) and Serhii Yatskovskyi, DECIDE National Experts, the parti

On 12 August, a discussion “Challenges of the new 2026/2027 academic year. Readiness for the implementation of the reform of specialised senior secondary schools” was organised during the general meeting of the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities. More than 100 community leaders from all regions of Ukraine attended the general meeting of the Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities, Vitalii Bezgin, Oleksandr Korinnyi, representatives of

Two events with the participation of DECIDE team at ‘Serpneva-2026’ will be dedicated to this issue. In the practical zone “Upper Secondary Education”, Nadiia Balabust, National Expert, DECIDE Coordinator for the Development of Career Guidance System, during the workshop “Career counselling and vocational guidance: how to help students make a conscious choice”, will discuss the results of the national pilot system for career guidance for children and young people in 390 commu

DECIDE team is working on these issues with communities across Ukraine. We support them in preparing for the implementation of the specialised senior secondary school reform: we help plan a capable network of academic lyceums, develop modern careers guidance, and build partnerships that open up more opportunities for young people. At SERPNEVA-2026, during the panel discussion “Upper Secondary School: Education for the Economy of the Future”, Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project

The annual SERPNEVA educational conference will take place in Kyiv on 18 August. This year’s event will be held under the slogan “Education is shared responsibility” and will bring together educators, administrators, government representatives, community leaders, international partners, the business sector, and everyone involved in shaping the modern education system in Ukraine. The Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project is a partner of the conference, and our team will join the disc

When discussing EDC/HRE, the question often arises: how can we explain concepts such as democracy, responsibility, respect for others or the right to be heard to children? Our experience at DECIDE Summer Clubs 2026 “We are at home – in Ukraine” confirms once again that these values are best learnt not when they are simply explained, but when they are experienced through personal involvement. Therefore, EDC/HRE has traditionally been an integral part of the summer clubs’ progr

«The status of a hub educational institution does not refer to the type of educational institution, but rather to its functional role in the established network of educational institutions of the community» Once the future networks of general secondary education institutions had been approved, most communities moved on to the practical stage of implementing the decisions taken. One of the issues that is raised more and more often during meetings with the founders of education

The summer clubs are currently running in 23 communities in Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions – all of which are partner regions of DECIDE project. This year, all our clubs have been united by the common theme of careers guidance. Summer holidays are not just a time for rest, games, and making new friends, but also a perfect opportunity to better understand oneself, discover one’s own talents, and learn more about the world of

In Vasylkiv, the career guidance system works in cooperation with all the bodies involved in ensuring that students make conscious career choices: schools, vocational colleges, the business sector, and the authorities. ‘We are thrilled that, thanks to DECIDE Project, a career guidance system is developing in the city. We need allies in schools. Previously, the focus was solely on social education teachers – we even ran career guidance training sessions for them. Now, children

«School meals without categories or exceptions: how can communities make wise use of state funding and avoid financial pitfalls from 1 September 2026?» Resolution No. 869 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 1 July 2026 regulated the procedure for the provision of state subsidies for school meals in 2026 by amending the Procedure and Conditions approved by Resolution No. 1456 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 27 December 2024. From 1 September 2026, the cat

Summer is underway, and our clubs are operating in 23 communities across 8 regions that are partners in DECIDE Project. Every day, these clubs are filled with children’s voices, genuine smiles, and new discoveries. And in the clubs, children do not just play, do sports, read, and create. They make new friends and simply enjoy the summer! They also learn about different professions, which will help them choose their dream career in the future! In order to ensure that every day

This process actually requires a much more in-depth analysis: primarily, of the number of future senior school students and the teaching staff, the availability of appropriate material and technical resources, the ability of the educational institution to offer different profiles (at least three), and other preconditions that will influence the quality of educational services received by senior school students. We want to share with you the experience of the frontline Trostia

On 17 July, Boryspil district in Kyiv region hosted a Healthy Nutrition Festival, which brought together children, parents, educators, representatives of communities, government authorities, and international partners around a shared goal – fostering a culture of healthy nutrition. First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture of Ukraine Tetiana Berezhna, Minister for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport of Ukrai