Despite the war, we continue to help communities implement senior specialised school reform

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 minorities. As in other regions, the number of students in Zakarpattia region is decreasing. This significantly affects the formation of the senior school network, and there are no easy solutions, as each case is unique.

The open discussion was attended by the leadership of the Education Department of the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration, representatives of community education departments, principals of general secondary schools, their deputies, educators and parent committees.

The participants discussed the prerequisites for implementing the reform, the essence of the changes and innovations, and demographic aspects. They also addressed issues concerning the founders of academic lyceums.

In particular, they discussed:

• the adequacy of the material and technical resources of educational institutions for the selected areas of study;

• the availability and training of qualified teaching staff;

• requirements for ensuring the accessibility of education, taking into account the territorial characteristics of the region;

• transportation of students to schools;

• potential partnerships between communities and the conclusion of inter-municipal cooperation agreements in education sector.

There were practical case studies, analyses of typical situations and specific algorithms that could literally be applied the next day at work.

‘Today, the European and international communities are focusing on blue-collar professions, and this is a direction in which we are also moving: we are developing a network of colleges. Five of the region’s thirteen vocational education institutions already have college status. This is important in order to raise the status of students and colleges, expand opportunities for young people, and overcome outdated stereotypes that vocational schools are not prestigious. Without blue-collar professions, Ukraine will not be able to progress, particularly in the context of war. An academic lyceum is a significant undertaking and a great responsibility. We must invest in teacher professionalism, STEM laboratories and the capacity of educational spaces. We cannot afford to be formal here – it is important to be honest about whether the lyceum will be able to operate and provide a quality education for children in all our communities. We would like to thank the DECIDE experts for their clear reasoning and recommendations. Together, we are making responsible decisions,’ said Mariana Marusynets, Director of the Department of Education, Science, Youth and Sports of the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration.

Our common goal is to ensure that every student has access to a quality education, regardless of where they live.

We greatly appreciate communities’ involvement in this process!

If your community requires the advice of DECIDE Project experts, please complete the form at https://bit.ly/4iG9w7i. Project representatives will then contact you to arrange a suitable time and format for a meeting.

The DECIDE project is implemented by NGO DOCCU and PHZH International Projects in Education with the support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine.

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