The New Ukrainian School (NUS) reform is the main ongoing reform of general secondary education in Ukraine. It modernises the system through competency-based learning and ensures equal access for all pupils. It develops key competences such as critical thinking, civic responsibility, and lifelong learning. The reform promotes a child-centred approach and strengthens the partnership between teachers, pupils, and parents. It increases school autonomy, supports teacher professional development, and improves management. The reform also creates a modern learning environment and introduces a new school structure. It ensures fair funding and aligns education with European standards.
2026
In 2026, the reform focuses on structural changes and further modernisation of the system.
Ukraine continues to prepare for the introduction of specialised upper secondary school and 12-year schooling. Authorities plan to pilot a new model for grades 10–12 in selected schools.
They continue to update the content of education and programmes, especially at the primary level. The reform strengthens the competence-based approach and supports individual learning needs. The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MESU) has issued the Order ‘On the Approval of the Standard Educational Programme for Grades 1–4 of General Secondary Education Institutions’ (Наказ МОН ‘Про затвердження Типової освітньої програми для 1-4 класів закладів загальної освіти’).
The digital education system continues to develop. Teachers use integrated platforms with learning materials and tools. These platforms help keep education going without interruptions.
The state continues to invest in education infrastructure. It develops modern learning spaces, laboratories and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classrooms. Authorities also update the textbook system and introduce new approaches to textbook development and delivery.
Support for teachers continues. Authorities develop a system of professional development and improve approaches to teachers’ pay.
2025
In 2025, the implementation of the NUS reform continued. The state budget allocated EUR 52.1 million (UAH 2.15 billion). About EUR 48.5 million (UAH 2.0 billion) are for equipping classrooms and EUR 3.6 million (UAH 0.15 billion) for teacher professional development.
Reforms in general school education in the first part of 2025 focused on:
- continuing the NUS reform;
- restructuring profile upper secondary education;
- digitalisation of management and learning processes;
- adapting educational content to wartime conditions.
Additional priorities included modernising the learning environment, ensuring safe conditions in schools, implementing digital tools, and updating educational programmes. They focused strongly on inclusive education by integrating learners with special education needs (SEN) into general education classrooms and offering psychological and pedagogical support during wartime.
A separate line of reform targeted educator professional development: training courses, workshops and monitoring of new competence needs. The use of online learning platforms and interactive resources expanded. This improved the flexibility of the learning process. All these steps helped create a stronger, more learner-focused school system that can handle today’s challenges.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, the reform of general secondary education (NUS) focused on updating the content of education, developing learning resources and preparing for the introduction of profile upper secondary education.
Authorities updated the implementation of state standards. They clarified learning outcomes and strengthened the competence-based approach. They also focused on key skills, cross-curricular links and the needs of learners with SEN. The MESU has issued the Order ‘On the Approval of the State Standard of Primary Education’ (Наказ МОН ‘Про затвердження Державного стандарту початкової освіти’).
They expanded digital support for teaching and learning. Educators received access to resources with learning materials, assessment tools and task examples. Authorities also introduced a bank of competence-based tasks and provided access to digital materials linked to textbooks.
The state started to modernise the education infrastructure. It improved learning spaces and provided modern equipment. It also helped students go to school, for example, by providing school transportation.
The authorities started new ways to help teachers learn. Now teachers can choose their own training programmes.
2024
Strategic plan of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine until 2027 ‘Education of Winners’ (Стратегічний план діяльності МОН до 2027 року ‘Освіта переможців’): On 11 March 2024, the MESU presented the directions of rebooting the education system in general and the NUS reform in particular.
Priority 2 ‘NUS Reform’ has identified four strategic goals for the further implementation of the NUS:
1. Pupils learn in a safe, modern and inclusive educational environment.
2. Pupils receive quality education in accordance with the principles and approaches of the NUS.
3. The content of education is adapted and transformed to meet the challenges of war.
4. Teaching teams of educational institutions work in partnership and implement the principles and approaches of the NUS.
On 01 November 2024 the MESU together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Emergency Service, the National Police, regional and Kyiv City Military Administrations, local self-government bodies and general secondary education institutions, are participating in a Pilot project to strengthen the security of the educational environment in general secondary education institutions under martial law (Експериментальний проєкт щодо посилення безпеки освітнього середовища в закладах загальної середньої освіти в умовах правового режиму воєнного стану). As of November 2024, 950 inspectors of the educational security service of the National Police of Ukraine have started performing their duties directly in general secondary education institutions. It is planned that by the end of 2024, the subdivisions of the educational security service of the National Police of Ukraine will cover up to 2,000 general secondary education institutions, and in the 2025/2026 school year, it is planned to cover 3,000 schools.
On 2 May 2024, the MESU published a letter ‘On the Electronic Database ‘Security Passport of an Educational Institution’ (лист МОН ‘Щодо електронної бази даних ‘Паспорт безпеки закладу освіти’), according to which an electronic security passport will be created for each general secondary education institution in Ukraine, which will be available in the software and hardware complex AICEM, administered by the SSI ‘IEA’. To create an electronic security passport, school representatives must enter data in up to 5 subsections: ‘Information’; ‘Location’; ‘Territory’; ‘Security equipment’; ‘Fire safety’. Police officers and employees of the State Emergency Service will have access to the electronic safety passport. Its implementation is expected to help create a safer educational environment and correct existing problems in educational institutions.
Ukraine is implementing a comprehensive School Offline policy. Since the organisation of the educational process offline is important, a safe environment is a key condition for learning. Therefore, special attention was paid to the creation of shelters in schools. Thanks to the allocation of UAH 2.35 billion, 57 projects of shelters in schools in the frontline and border regions received financing. Another UAH 1 billion has been allocated to purchase school buses to ensure the safe transportation of children, which will allow at least 25,000 learners to safely reach their schools.
On 14 May 2024, by order, the MESU approved ‘The Standard Educational Programme for Advanced Training of Heads of Educational Institutions in the Field of Implementation of School Nutrition Reform’ (Наказ МОН України ‘Про затвердження Типової освітньої програми підвищення кваліфікації керівників закладів освіти за напрямом ‘Впровадження реформи шкільного харчування’). As part of the school nutrition reform, more than 500 canteens in educational institutions have been modernised, which allowed for updating the menu and take into account modern nutrition standards. In particular, a subvention of UAH 1.5 billion was allocated for the modernisation of catering facilities. This will enable the implementation of 173 projects selected on a competitive basis. All primary school pupils will receive free meals, for which the Government has allocated UAH 2 billion in 2024. The food meets the requirements of a healthy diet, which is especially important for providing quality meals to children from vulnerable groups. The reform also includes improvements to the food quality control system to ensure transparency and safety of the process.
In addition, the MESU has developed the Standard Educational Programme for Advanced Training of Heads of Educational Institutions in the Field of Implementation of School Nutrition Reform (Типова освітня програма підвищення кваліфікації керівників закладів освіти за напрямом ‘Впровадження реформи шкільного харчування’), which covers topics ranging from understanding goals to practical catering skills, including menu updates, quality control and collaboration with parents. The course focuses on the development of managerial, communication and innovative competencies of the head of an educational institution.
On 24 January 2024, the MESU issued the Order ‘On Conducting a Pilot State Final Evaluation of Primary School Graduates in the Form of External Independent Assessment’ (Наказ МОН ‘Про проведення пілотної державної підсумкової атестації випускників початкової школи у формі зовнішнього незалежного оцінювання’).
In April-May, the updated format of the state final attestation (SFA) for 4th grade pupils was piloted, with 2,000 pupils participating, according to the order.
In particular, pupils took 3 subjects as part of the SFA: Ukrainian language, mathematics and reading. Based on the results of the experiment, experts from the Ukrainian Centre for Educational Quality Assessment (UCEQA) will adjust the materials to scale up the updated assessment in schools across Ukraine in 2025.
On 10 October 2024, the MESU issued the Order ‘On approval of the conceptual framework for reforming specialised secondary education (academic lyceums)’ (Наказ Міністерства освіти і науки України ‘Про затвердження Концептуальних засад реформування профільної середньої освіти (академічні ліцеї)’). The reform of upper secondary education requires more radical changes due to several factors:
- the addition of an extra year of study;
- an increased need for individualised educational pathways due to specialisation;
- the necessity to separate lyceums from primary schools and gymnasiums (lower secondary schools) to implement the principles of specialisation.
The concept includes a roadmap for transforming the network of general secondary education institutions (GSEIs), an implementation plan for the upper secondary education reform, SWOT and PESTEL analyses of the reform process and a risk matrix with potential response scenarios.
On 25 July 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved Regulations ‘On approval of the State standard of specialised secondary education’ (Постанова Кабінету Міністрів України ‘Про затвердження Державного стандарту профільної середньої освіти’). It will be implemented in grades 10-12 of academic lyceums, VET and professional pre-higher education institutions (as part of complete general secondary education). The pilot of Standard will take place in 2025, with full adoption for learners starting on 1 September 2027. Preparations for the reform will include:
- approving the Standard educational programme and model curricula for various integrated courses and subjects;
- piloting;
- restructuring the educational institution network (including the establishment of academic lyceums).
The State Standard for Specialised Secondary Education allows the creation of individual educational pathways, enabling learners to pursue an academic or professional track.
On 9 August 2024, the MESU issued the Order ‘On amendments to the Standart educational programme for grades 5-9 of general secondary education institutions’ (Наказ Міністерства освіти і науки України ‘Про внесення змін до типової освітньої програми для 5-9 класів закладів загальної середньої освіти’). The goal is to make the Standard educational programme more flexible for the implementation of various curricula, variable integrated courses or subjects or a combination of them.
On 30 July 2024, the MESU issued the Order ‘On approval of the conceptual framework for reforming historical education in the system of general secondary education’ (Наказ Міністерства освіти і науки України ‘Про затвердження концептуальних засад реформування історичної освіти в системі загальної середньої освіти’). The peculiarity of the reform is that the study of history should take place within 6 cycles:
- first cycle of primary education (grades 1-2): adaptation and game;
- second cycle of primary education (grades 3-4): basic;
- first cycle of basic secondary education (grades 5-6): adaptation;
- second cycle of basic secondary education (grades 7-9): basic subject training;
- first cycle of specialised secondary education (grade 10): specialised adaptation;
- second cycle of specialised secondary education (grades 11-12): specialised.
On 8 August 2024, the MESU approved the Order ‘On approval of the updated model training programme ‘Defence of Ukraine. Integrated Course’ (Наказ Міністерства освіти і науки України ‘Про затвердження оновленої модельної навчальної програми ‘Захист України. Інтегрований курс’). The updated ‘Defence of Ukraine’ programme (for grades 1011) focuses on fostering patriotic awareness and values while developing practical life-saving skills. A key feature is common content for all learners, regardless of gender, ensuring equal opportunities to acquire essential skills. In June and July 2024, 102 trainers completed training under the new programme. These trainers will share their knowledge with regional teachers, increasing their qualifications.
On 13 June 2024, the MESU issued the Order ‘On amendments to the Methodological recommendations on certain issues of education in general secondary education institutions under martial law in Ukraine’ (Наказ Міністерства освіти і науки України ‘Про внесення змін у методичні рекомендації щодо окремих питань здобуття освіти в закладах загальної середньої освіти в умовах воєнного стану в Україні’) for re-crediting the learners’ results of education in schools abroad. Learners, temporarily residing abroad, received guidelines for recognising their academic achievements in educational institutions at their location. These guidelines apply to subjects included in both the host country’s curricula and the Ukrainian school curricula. Tables of aligning the grading scales of the host country with Ukraine’s 12-point system were developed.
On 1 May 2024, the National securities and stock market commission approved the Resolution ‘On approval of the National strategy for the development of financial literacy until 2030’ (Постанова Національної комісії з цінних паперів та фондового ринку ‘Про затвердження Національної стратегії розвитку фінансової грамотності до 2030 року’). The Strategy aims to enhance financial awareness among the population, boost citizens’ confidence in making financial decisions and promote rational financial behaviour. The key aspect of its implementation is providing high-quality basic financial education through initiatives to improve financial literacy among pupils. This includes creating educational resources, updating curricula and introducing a new mandatory course ‘Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy’. This course will start in 2025 for 8th grade and in 2026 for 9th grade in all schools across Ukraine.
On 29 August 2024, the MESU approved the Order ‘Professional standard ‘Teacher of a general secondary education institution’ (Наказ Міністерства освіти і науки України ‘Професійний стандарт ‘Вчитель закладу загальної середньої освіти’). The new standards contain the conceptual principles of the NUS reform. They outline possible pathways for acquiring professional qualifications based on the level of education and speciality obtained. The standard includes the structure of competency descriptions with the descriptors of the National Qualifications Framework and streamline the number of competences required to perform relevant job functions.
On 14 June 2024, the MESU issued the Order ‘On approval of the Procedure for providing professional support and assistance to teachers (supervision) in general secondary education’ (Наказ Міністерства освіти і науки України ‘Про затвердження Порядку надання професійної підтримки та допомоги педагогічним працівникам (здійснення супервізії) у загальній середній освіті’). The goal of supervision is to provide a range of professional support and assistance to teachers in accordance with the requirements of professional and educational standards.