Responsible bodies 

The governing bodies that constitute the quality assurance system in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC) include the following institutions.

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MESU) sets the institutional and legal framework for the education quality system (Якість освіти МОН) at all levels. The MESU defines the approaches and methods used to assess the quality of education. These include state final certification, external independent evaluation and participation in international assessments.

The State Service of Education Quality of Ukraine (SSEQU) is a central executive body coordinated by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine through the MESU. The SSEQU implements state policy in education, particularly concerning the quality assurance of education and educational activities. It also exercises state supervision (control) over educational institutions to ensure compliance with legislation. 

The SSEQU monitors compliance with education quality and standards in the ECEC and at all levels of school education. It provides recommendations on establishing internal quality assurance systems in early childhood education institutions (ECEIs), schools, professional pre-higher, and vocational and training (VET) institutions, and supports them in improving the quality of their educational provision. The SSEQU also ensures compliance with education standards and develops methodological guidelines for creating internal quality assurance systems in educational institutions, thereby contributing to improvements in educational activities.

The Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment (UCEQA) is a state institution responsible for external independent evaluation (EIE) of learning outcomes obtained at a certain educational level. It also conducts monitoring studies of the quality of education.

Local education authorities are responsible for ensuring the quality of education within their respective areas in line with the Law on Education (закон України ‘Про освіту’), on Early Childhood Education (закон України ‘Про дошкільну освіту’) and on Local Self-Government in Ukraine (закон України ‘Про місцеве самоврядування в Україні’). Local self-government bodies are in charge of establishing an effective education management system, ensuring the accessibility and quality of education, and developing a network of educational institutions that meet the needs of the local community (Повноваження органів місцевого самоврядування щодо забезпечення якісної освіти).

Approaches and methods for quality assurance 

External evaluation 

An information system called ‘EvaluEd’ was developed to support the evaluation of education quality in schools. It is an information and analytical tool for both external evaluation and self-evaluation of educational and management processes in schools, as well as for the certification of teachers. The system is expected to cover 300,000 self-evaluations and 30,000 external evaluations (institutional audits) across ECEC, school, out-of-school and VET institutions over the next ten years.

‘EvaluEd’ includes a dedicated module to help educational institutions carry out a self-assessment of their educational activities in order to:

• improve the quality of educational services;

• create appropriate conditions for study and work;

• foster partnerships among all participants in the educational process. 

Based on the self-assessment results, the head of the educational institution receives a detailed summary report. 

The main methods of external quality assurance in ECEC and school education include standardisation, institutional audit, external independent assessment of learning outcomes, teacher certification and public supervision.

The MESU ensures standardisation by developing state standards that define the goals and principles of the educational process in ECEC and general secondary education institutions (GSEIs). These standards outline the general content of education, specify the requirements for mandatory learning outcomes and set benchmarks for their assessment.

The SSEQU is responsible for conducting institutional audits.
An institutional audit is a comprehensive external review and assessment of an institution’s educational and management processes that contribute to its effective functioning and sustainable development. It involves an external evaluation by independent experts of a school’s performance, focusing on both educational and administrative practices, as well as its compliance with legal requirements.

Institutional audits are mandatory and take place in each school every 10 years. They may also be carried out on an unscheduled basis at the request of the founder or the head of the school, teaching staff or supervisory board of the school. 

The evaluation focuses on the following key areas: the educational environment, the assessment system for learners, teachers’ activities and management practices.

The institutional audit includes the following components:

1. Educational environment:

• ensuring safe and comfortable conditions for learning and working;

• creating an environment free from all forms of violence and discrimination;

• fostering an inclusive and motivating learning environment.

2. Assessment system for learners:

• having an open, transparent, and understandable system for assessing learning outcomes;

• using an assessment system that allows teachers to track each learner’s progress over time;

• focusing on developing learners’ responsibility for their own learning outcomes.

3. Teachers’ activities:

• effective planning using modern educational technologies and approaches;

• enhancing professional competence and skills;

• building partnerships with learners and parents;

• adhering to the principles of academic integrity.

4. Management practices:

• having a clear development strategy for the institution;

• promoting trust, transparency and upholding ethical standards;

• implementing an effective human resources policy;

• organising the educational process based on respect, cooperation and inclusive decision-making involving all stakeholders;

• developing and applying a policy on academic integrity.

The purpose of the institutional audit is to assess the quality of the institution's educational provision. Based on the results, recommendations are made to improve the quality of educational activities and the internal quality assurance system. The audit also helps to align educational and management processes with legal requirements, including licensing conditions.

Internal evaluation

One of the components of the quality assurance in ECEC is the internal quality assurance system (IQAS) introduced in the educational institution. The Basic Component of ECEC (Базовий компонент дошкільної освіти) stipulates that the educational programmes should contain a description and tools of the internal quality assurance system of the ECEC. 

The SSEQU has developed and approved the ‘Methodical Recommendations on the Formation of an IQAS in ECEIs’ (Методичні рекомендації з питань формування внутрішньої системи забезпечення якості освіти у закладах дошкільної освіти). The SSEQU, together with the Association of ECEC Workers and the MCFR Digital Publishing House, has also produced an electronic guide for the heads of ECEIs ‘How to create an IQAS in education’ (Порадник для директора закладу дошкільної освіти щодо розбудови внутрішньої системи забезпечення якості освіти).

Each ECEC institution develops its own IQAS. A key part of this system is the internal monitoring of how children develop competencies through their learning. Experts recommend analysing the learning outcomes of children in early and preschool age groups across all invariant educational areas of the Basic Component of ECEC.

Various methods are recommended for conducting a self-assessment of educational provision. These include questionnaires for participants in the educational process, individual interviews, focus group discussions, and observations of the learning environment, daily routines and teaching sessions, as well as reviews of documentation.

There are also methodological guides containing ready-made materials, including achievement indicators, diagnostic tools, assessment methods, and descriptors of programme requirement mastery levels. These materials target different age groups: early childhood, younger preschool, middle preschool and older preschool children. One such guide is the ‘Toolkit for Assessing the Readiness of a Senior Preschool Child for Learning in the Context of Ukrainian School Reform: Methodological Recommendations’ (Інтрументарій оцінювання готовності дитини старшого дошкільного віку до навчання в умовах реформування української школи).

The Methodological Recommendations on the Development of an Internal Quality Assurance System in the GSEIs (‘Методичні рекомендації з формування внутрішньої системи забезпечення якості освіти у закладах загальної середньої освіти’) support schools in establishing and implementing procedures aimed at improving the effectiveness of the educational process and ensuring its alignment with national quality standards. These recommendations address various areas, including school management, the educational environment, teaching practices, and the learner assessment system.

The main elements of the IQAS formation in schools include:

1. Identifying key components. The Recommendations set out the main areas of school activity that influence education quality, including:

• School management system: strategic planning, allocation of responsibilities, monitoring of task implementation, and engagement with education authorities and the wider community; 

• Educational environment: creating a safe, inclusive and motivating space that supports learners’ development;

• Teaching practice: maintaining a high level of teachers’ professional competence, promoting professional development and applying modern teaching methods; 

• Learner assessment system: designing and implementing an objective and transparent system that considers individual learners’ characteristics and supports their progress. 

2. Implementing procedures and mechanisms. The Recommendations provide practical guidance on developing and applying specific procedures and mechanisms for each of the key areas. These may include:  

• Planning and monitoring: setting annual work plans, monitoring educational processes, analysing outcomes and adjusting activities as necessary; 

• Self-assessment and external evaluation: conducting regular self-assessment of the school’s educational quality, with the active involvement of learners, parents and other stakeholders. Schools may also undergo external evaluations, such as institutional audits;

• Data collection and analysis: applying methods such as questionnaires, interviews, observation and testing to gather objective data on the state of the educational process; 

• Developing and using feedback mechanisms: enabling learners, parents, teachers and other stakeholders to express their views and contribute suggestions for improving educational quality.

3. Ensuring the quality of the educational process. The IQAS should aim to:

• Provide quality education: delivering educational services that respond to the needs of learners, society and the labour market; 

• Improve educational outcomes: achieving high academic results and supporting learners' progress;

• Support teachers’ professional competence: offering opportunities for continuous development and encouraging the use of innovative teaching methods. 

The above Recommendations reflect current standards and requirements for GSEIs. Implementing them will help improve the quality of education, enhance learners’ preparedness, and strengthen their competitiveness in the labour market.

VET institutions are also responsible for ensuring the quality of education by developing an internal quality assurance and self-assessment system, including through partnerships with employers (Розбудова якісної професійної (професійно-технічної) освіти - за партнерства з роботодавцями).

External assessment of learning outcomes

Ensuring the quality of education requires the use of external assessment as one of the key components of the evaluation process. In 2021, the MESU launched a study to assess the quality of the educational process using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale, Third Edition (ECERS-3). This international tool evaluates the quality of preschool learning environments. It uses a standardised rating scale and focuses on conditions that support child development, with particular attention to child-centred practices. The study focused on 200 ECEIs, with the findings detailed in an analytical report (Аналітичний звіт). 

The forms of the external assessment of learning outcomes in school education are:

1. State final certification (SFC) (державна підсумкова атестація, ДПА) is a national form of assessment that verifies whether learners graduating from GSEIs and VET that award a complete general secondary education meet the state-defined learning standards. The SFC takes place at the end of the academic year, covering subjects that are determined and approved annually by the MESU.

2. External independent evaluation (EIE) (зовнішнє незалежне оцінювання, ЗНО)  serves as both an assessment of learning outcomes at a particular educational level and as an instrument for monitoring the quality of education. The Ukrainian Centre for Educational Quality Assessment (UCEQA) is responsible for administering the EIE. The results of the EIE of school graduates used for admission to higher education institutions and are also recognised as SFC grades.

In 2022, due to the imposition of martial law, it was not possible to conduct the EIE in its traditional format. As a result, a decision was made to introduce the National Multi-Subject Test (NMT) (національний мультипредметний тест, НМТ) as an alternative tool to assess the learning outcomes of school leavers. From 2022 to 2024, the UCEQA organised and conducted the NMT to ensure equal access to higher education during wartime. This was carried out in accordance with the relevant MESU orders (Накази Міністерства освіти і науки України щодо проведення Національного мультипредметного тесту у 2022, 2023 та 2024 роках).

3. Programmes for International Student Assessment (PISA). In 2018, Ukraine took full part in the study for the first time.