On 16 December, H.E. Felix Baumann, the Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation in Ukraine and the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project Manager, took part in a government meeting on school nutrition reform, which was attended by the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko, representatives of central executive authorities, heads of regional military administrations, and international partners. The following were presented during the event: Int

« Are the concerns of heads of military administration regarding the possibility of closing general secondary education institutions justified? The relevant legislation is explained below » Experts from the Swiss-Ukrainian ‘Decentralisation for Improved Democratic Education’ (DECIDE) Project regularly provide counselling to representatives of communities on specialised secondary education reform. During these consultations, the question often arises as to whether the founder

A public consultation was recently held in Kalush, Ivano-Frankivsk region, with nearly 200 participants, including educators, school principals, and representatives of local authorities from Kaluska and neighbouring communities. The meeting provided a platform to find common solutions for implementing specialised senior secondary school reform and for developing an effective educational network that focuses on the needs of children and adolescents. The meeting participants in

« Does a teacher perform several ‘professional roles’ at a time? Explanation of the certification rules for each of these roles » Local governments and educational institutions often have practical questions about how to properly certify teaching staff who hold multiple positions or work part-time. This has become one of the most common personnel issues in communities, as correctly applying legislation is key to ensuring the legitimacy of decisions made by attestation commiss

The tenth DECIDE modern career guidance hub has opened at the Pivnichnyi Professional College in Savran, Odesa region. This new type of space enables students in Grades 7–9 to learn about different professions and try out real, professional-level equipment. The hub was created within the framework of an initiative to pilot a new career guidance system for students in Odesa region, in partnership with the DECIDE Project, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and th

Since early March, 43 communities in Odesa region have received advisory support on the implementation of senior specialised school reform from a team of experts from the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project. In November, the DECIDE team worked in the region again, this time with Velykodnalytska and Chornomorska communities. The meeting brought together local government representatives, trade union leaders, educators and parents to discuss the important topic of creating a modern,

In November, the DECIDE Project team visited the Kholmkivska, Baranynska, Kamianska, Bilkivska, Chynadiivska, and Horondivska communities in Zakarpattia region. A total of 13 communities in Zakarpattia region have already joined the effort to support the implementation of senior specialised school reform. The region has its own particular features: more than a third of schools are located in mountainous areas and many of these are situated in communities with national minorit

One more DECIDE career guidance hub has opened in Brovary — the ninth out of ten that we have established in Ukraine! This time, it is located at the Brovarskyi Vocational College. This is not just a classroom or a laboratory, but a modern career guidance space where students in Grades 7–9 can test out various professions. The hubs are part of a broader initiative to pilot a new career guidance system for students in Kyiv region, in partnership with the DECIDE Project, the Mi

This year, 66 communities took part in the traditional competition by submitting 260 applications that showcased their best practices, successful initiatives, effective solutions, and projects. The winner of the ‘Successful Together-2025’ competition in the education sector is Velykokuchurivska community in Chernivtsi region. Special awards from the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project in the ‘Leader in Education’ category were given to: Tereshkivska community (Poltava region) Okni

On 1 December, the traditional annual forum organised by the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Organisation of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning was held in the hero city of Bucha. The event was attended by Ukrainian MPs, representatives of central executive bodies, local governments and their associations, international and Ukrainian organisations, and the expert community. Valentyna Poltorak, Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project Manager, joined

The Government has approved an updated State Standard for Preschool Education. This document outlines what preschool education should involve and the outcomes children should achieve before starting school. Key changes include: a clear image of the child upon completion of preschool education has been defined; a competency-based approach has been introduced, with the emphasis on results rather than a list of topics; kindergartens are given more freedom in choosing curricula a

The National Forum on Sustainability and Good Governance was held recently. During the Forum, an updated approach to strategic and spatial planning in Ukraine was presented, covering functional types of areas, macro-regions and NUTS-UA1 statistical regions. The presented achievements will serve as a basis for further development of state regional policy. Presented were: macro-regions of Ukraine: temporarily occupied areas, frontline areas, centre and west; a separate category

Last week, the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project team held two advisory meetings with heads of educational institutions and deputy school principals in Ivano-Frankivska community, which is the largest community in the region. Traditionally, the following topics were discussed: the reasons for implementing the reform and the tasks it addresses; the stages of reform implementation and the strategy for its implementation; the financing models. DECIDE experts informed participants o

On 13 November, a public discussion was held on the implementation of the high school reform for communities in Kherson region. The event was organised by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in cooperation with the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project and local governments. Kherson region was the final region in a series of events that covered 1,304 communities and more than 3,200 participants throughout Ukraine. Kherson region is preparing to implement high school ref

Communities are continuing to form a network to implement secondary education reform, and DECIDE Project experts are providing them with ongoing professional support. In October, Alla Bondar, Olena Hulenko and Yurii Orel, experts on local self-government from the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project, held a series of consultations with representatives of 11 communities in Chernihiv region. DECIDE experts visited Ivanivska, Kyinska, Mykhailo-Kotsiubynska, Novobilouska, Honcharivska

On 5–6 November, a two-day session entitled ‘Peculiarities of implementing the third stage of the NUS reform in Ukraine: community experience, regional particularities’ was held in Khmelnytskyi for DECIDE Project experts who have been working with communities in various regions of Ukraine since spring 2025. Over the course of ten months, DECIDE expert teams have provided consultations to representatives of more than 360 communities on the implementation of specialised seconda

This is the eighth of ten DECIDE hubs! The DECIDE career guidance hub is a modern educational space where pupils in grades 7–9 can explore various professions first-hand and make an informed decision about their future career.  The hub was created in partnership with the DECIDE project, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Poltava Regional State Administration and the Poltava Regional Council. Its opening is part of an initiative to pilot a new career guidanc

A modern career guidance hub has been opened at Vocational College No. 7 in Kremenchuk in Poltava region. The hub was created within the framework of the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Poltava Regional State Administration, and Vocational College No. 7 in Kremenchuk. DECIDE career guidance hub in Kremenchuk offers opportunities to students from the city and the region. Here, young people can find out ab

As part of the DECIDE: VIDBUDOVA initiative, the shelter at Chernihiv School No. 19 was renovated. It was this very shelter that saved the lives of more than 500 people during the shelling of the city in March 2022. Shelter area — 238 m². Budget — over UAH 4 million. These funds were used to renovate the shelter spaces, install two lifts for disabled people, and equip three large classrooms, a psychological relaxation room and inclusive changing rooms. They were also used to

Students in the Kulykivska community in the Chernihiv region are once again attending classes in person in safe and modern conditions. Through the DECIDE: VIDBUDOVA project, the community renovated a 300-square-metre school anti-radiation shelter, which can now be used by secondary school students. The project budget exceeded UAH 6 million. The funds were used to renovate the premises, including installing ventilation systems, accessible toilets, lighting, and comfortable lea