Skip to main content
European Commission logo

Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
Lifelong learning strategy
Ukraine

Ukraine

2.Organisation and governance

2.2Lifelong learning strategy

Last update: 19 September 2024
On this page

Access to lifelong learning in Ukraine is based on the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning. This Recommendation sets out standards and guidelines for the development of skills and knowledge at different stages of life.

In 2014, Ukraine signed the Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine, thereby committing to promote the development of European cooperation in the field of education, including lifelong learning.

It is imperative that the National Qualifications Framework aligns with the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning. The draft Law of Ukraine on the National Qualifications System defines lifelong learning as the progressive acquisition of qualifications of varying degrees of scope and complexity. This process takes place within a transparent, open and coherent qualifications system. Each new qualification builds on previously acquired knowledge, skills and competences.

The Ukrainian state shows a strong commitment to promoting lifelong learning and continuous personal development. Although Ukraine does not have a specific legislative strategy for lifelong learning, this area has received considerable attention in recent years.

 

Legislative Background

Adult education is an integral part of lifelong learning. At the legislative level, adult education was formally recognised as a fully-fledged component of the Ukrainian national education system with the enactment of the revised Law on Education (закон України ‘Про освіту’) in 2017. According to Article 18 of this legislation, the aim of adult education and training is to facilitate the realisation of every adult's right to continuous learning, taking into account their personal needs, social development priorities and economic demands. The components of adult education include postgraduate education, vocational education and training, retraining and/or advanced training courses, continuing professional development, and any other components established by law. Such opportunities may be provided by educational institutions or determined by the individual. The legislation stipulates that public authorities and local self-government bodies are obliged to create conditions that facilitate formal, non-formal and informal adult education and training.

The revised Law on Education has become the basis for the further development of the relevant draft Law on Adult Education and Training. In 2018, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine formed a working group to develop this draft law. Public discussions took place in 2020, and in 2022 the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved it. In 2023, another important step towards the legislative regulation of the adult education and training system was taken: the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine considered and adopted the initial reading of this draft law. The document is currently awaiting final approval by the Parliament.

The proposed legislation is of great importance for Ukrainian society, as it aims to regulate and systematise the adult education and training system and ensure its development in the medium term. Furthermore, this draft law incorporates the practices and key recommendations of the European Union regarding lifelong learning and adult education, as well as the national advancements in this field.

The draft law proposes a new approach to adult education and training, which includes:

  • Creating opportunities for personal and professional development, increasing social engagement and addressing diverse social and economic needs at community, regional and national levels.

  • Developing mechanisms to create a network of service providers in adult education and training. This involves diversifying activities, engaging with civil society, promoting competition between educational programmes, ensuring the quality of educational services and recognising learning outcomes, particularly those acquired through non-formal education.

Moreover, the draft legislation introduces a legal framework for the operation of adult education and training centres. It sets out norms empowering local authorities to establish these centres when deemed necessary. Such centres may operate as separate legal entities or as integral structural units of educational, cultural, and other institutions. The legal framework defining these institutions, their rights, and the conditions for their establishment is consistent with the state's policy of decentralisation. 

The adoption of the draft Law on Adult Education and Training will contribute to improved employment, lifelong development and self-realisation. It will encourage employers to organise workplace training on mutually beneficial terms and ensure competitive conditions for the provision of educational services. It will also provide for free choice of service providers in adult education and training, while protecting the rights of learners, employers and other participants in the educational process. Therefore, its implementation is expected to have a positive socio-economic impact on the development of society and the state. It will increase the capacity of each individual for self-realisation and active participation in post-war reconstruction, as well as in the economic and social life of the community, region and country. More detailed information on adult education and training in Ukraine can be found in Chapter 8.

 

Other measures fostering lifelong learning

In Ukraine, the development of adult education and its key areas is supported by a number of institutions, including the National Qualifications Agency (NQA), the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance (NAQA), the State Service of Education Quality of Ukraine (SSQE), and others. The Ivan Ziaziun Institute of Pedagogical and Adult Education has been operating under the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine for over 30 years. Alongside government bodies, representatives of the public sector, such as the Ukrainian Adult Education Association and the Lifelong Learning Centre, actively contribute to the promotion of lifelong learning. In addition, the adult population in Ukraine has the opportunity to enrol in short-term programmes at vocational education and training institutions to improve their skills or acquire new qualifications.

 

Useful links