DECIDE and Luhansk Regional State Administration sign cooperation Memorandum of Understanding until 2030

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, ‘We have been working with Luhansk region since 2020 and, despite the full-scale invasion and the evacuation of the education departments. We continue to support the region. In this phase, we will continue to work with the heads and staff of education departments, creating additional opportunities for children and young people in Luhansk region to participate in the Project's activities, particularly in the areas of career guidance, summer activities, and youth programmes.’

Oleksii Kharchenko, Head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, emphasised, ‘For Luhansk region, cooperation with DECIDE Project and the support of Switzerland is not merely aid, but a partnership that promotes the development of modern, safe, and future-oriented education in the communities of the region.’

The new Memorandum outlines a broad framework for cooperation until 2030. Further cooperation will focus on establishing a network of academic lyceums and implementing vocational education reform, updating regional development strategies with a focus on education, professional development for heads of military administrations, education administrators and heads of educational institutions on decentralised education management in the current context, as well as for teaching staff on the introduction of civic education courses. Another key area of cooperation will be the development of a career guidance system for children and young people, including through the implementation of grant programmes to establish career guidance hubs and youth internship schemes in regional and local military administrations, as well as support for extracurricular and educational activities for children affected by the war.

Cooperation with Luhansk region has been focused on the comprehensive development of education for over six years. During this time:

• the Strategy for the Recovery and Development of Education in Luhansk region for 2023–2027 was approved and an implementation plan was developed;

• 26 communities in the region joined the national consultation and advisory campaign ‘Education in New Communities from A to Z’ and are receiving expert support on education management issues;

• professional development for education administrators was provided: 41 representatives of military administrations, including heads of education administration bodies, undertook professional development through programmes approved by the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service;

• support was provided to ensure the continuity of the education system during the war: expert consultations on resuming the work of education administration bodies, the organisation of distance learning, and the resolution of key management issues;

• 1,262 teachers in the region underwent training within the framework of the ‘Stronger Together!’ initiative to work with children affected by the war;

• the ‘Learning to Live in the Community’ course was introduced: 351 pupils took part in the training, and 118 teachers were trained to deliver the course;

• within DECIDE Winter Clubs initiative: 232 children took part in training sessions on video filming and editing, and 185 children completed a course in Scratch programming;

• 16 communities joined the national pilot scheme for a career guidance system for children and teenagers – work has begun on establishing a comprehensive system of career support for young people;

• all communities receive advisory support from DECIDE Project experts.

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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