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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
National reforms in early childhood education and care
Ukraine

Ukraine

14.Ongoing reforms and policy developments

14.1National reforms in early childhood education and care

Last update: 31 December 2024
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Reforming the early childhood education and care (ECEC) system in Ukraine is an integral part of the overall strategy for developing national education, aimed at creating high-quality conditions for the comprehensive development of children from an early age.

The strategic objectives of state policy in the field of early childhood education and the primary goal of reforming Ukraine's ECEC system are to ensure its accessibility, eliminate queues for early childhood education institutions (ECEIs), expand the network of institutions (including private ones), guarantee the quality of preschool education, provide institutions with qualified and motivated teachers, create a modern, safe, comfortable, and inclusive educational environment, align ECEC education in Ukraine with European standards, and preserve the cultural values of the Ukrainian people.

2024 

 On 6 June 2024, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the new Law of Ukraine on Early Childhood Education and Care (закон України ‘Про дошкільну освіту’ ), which will enter into force on 1 January 2025.

The law defines the legal, organisational and economic principles of the ECEC system in order to ensure the holistic and comprehensive development of children through education, training, socialisation, the development of essential life skills and competences, and to create the most favourable conditions for the rapid growth of high-quality and accessible ECEC. It also aims to balance the interests of all participants in the educational process.

The main purpose of the law is to improve the functioning of the ECEC system by:

  • Making use of the institutional experience gained since Ukraine's independence,

  • Ensuring equal and barrier-free access to quality ECEC for all Ukrainians,

  • Introducing alternative financing mechanisms for ECEC,

  • Provide ECEC and additional state attention to children from birth,

  • To promote the autonomy of ECEIs and the academic freedom of teachers,

  • To develop ECEIs of all forms of ownership and other educational institutions,

  • To improve the quality of ECEC.

The law emphasises improving teacher training and expanding access to quality ECEC, which is the basis for successful schooling.

In order to provide children with quality and accessible ECEC and to protect the rights of all participants in the educational process, the document introduces the following main changes:

  • Annual leave: Establishment of 56 calendar days of annual leave for all teaching staff in ECEIs.

  • Reduced workload: Reducing the workload of educators, methodologists, sports instructors, psychologists, social workers and educational assistants.

  • Increased salary options: Allowing ECEIs founders to set higher salaries, bonuses, allowances and additional rewards, including payments for exceeding group size norms.

  • Territorial Accessibility: Requiring executive authorities and local governments to ensure territorial accessibility to ECEC for all participants.

  • Parental rights: Granting parents the right to design an individual educational path for their children and to choose the form of ECEC.

  • Pedagogical support: Granting parents the right to pedagogical support.

  • Flexible educational formats: Allow ECEIs to introduce different educational formats: on-site, network-based and/or distance.

  • New types of ECEIs: Allow the creation of new types of ECEIs such as mobile preschools, mini-kindergartens and pedagogical partnership centres.

  • Regulated programmes: Standardise the use of educational programmes and sub-programmes.

  • Transparent admissions: Establishing a clear admission process for children to municipal ECEIs based on territorial principles.

  • Resource provision: Requiring ECEIs founders to provide educators with play materials, didactic resources and technical equipment.

  • Protection of rural and special ECEIs: Introducing specific conditions for the closure of rural and special kindergartens.

  • Management conditions: Establishing conditions for the appointment and duration of ECEIs managers.

  • Institutional audits: To regulate the format of pedagogical councils and institutional audits.

On 11 March 2024, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine presented its Strategic plan of activities until 2027 (Стратегічний план діяльності Міністерства освіти і науки України до 2027 року), based on the Vision for the Future of Education and Science. ECEC is the top priority among the Ministry's strategic goals.

The strategic plan outlines eight key initiatives to reform the ECEC system, taking into account the challenges posed by martial law:

  • State standard for pre-school education: Updating the content of education for infants and pre-school children in line with the European Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care. Ensure continuity between pre-school and primary education. Modernising the educational environment of ECEC providers according to the principles of universal design.

  • My Fortress initiative: Providing every ECEI with reliable shelters that are inclusive and friendly to all participants in the educational process, ensuring protection, collective and individual safety.

  • Protection Policy: Develop a policy to protect children from physical, psychological and sexual violence.

  • Transforming the pay system in ECEIs: Designing and piloting a new salary system for early childhood education staff.

  • Digitisation of ECEC: Implementing an electronic enrolment queue in all ECEIs in the country, modernising material and technical resources, and equipping ECEIs with laptops and tablets to improve working conditions and communication with parents.

  • Introduction of English in ECEIs: Developing and implementing procedures for teaching English in early childhood education centres.

  • Quick Start: Designing and implementing a condensed training course for early childhood educators to facilitate entry into the profession and partially address the shortage of staff in ECEC.

  • Alternative forms of ECEI: Designing effective solutions for alternative types of kindergartens and further implementing them in areas with different conditions (taking into account security situations, infrastructure damage, number of children, demographic trends, population composition and economic development).

This strategic plan gives priority to modernising the ECEС system to meet the needs of children, families and society in Ukraine.

 

2023

On 21 March 2023, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine considered the draft law on Early Childhood Education and Care, which aims to modernise the ECEC system in response to current challenges and European standards. The draft law introduces principles of accessibility, quality, inclusiveness and new approaches to the development of young children and preschoolers. It emphasises the extension of parental rights, the improvement of educational programmes, the enhancement of the status of educators and the creation of conditions for the harmonious development of children.

On 7 April 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the Concept of Security in Educational Institutions (Концепція безпеки закладів освіти), which represents a comprehensive strategic vision for creating a safe educational environment and ensuring equal, adequate and safe conditions for education and teaching. The Concept addresses the challenges posed by the ongoing military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and is scheduled for implementation in 2023-2025. Key objectives of the concept:

  • Create a secure infrastructure for educational institutions.

  • Prevent and counter security threats in the educational environment.

  • Development of security competences of participants in the educational process.

The implementation of the Concept aims to improve fire and technological safety in educational institutions, enable face-to-face learning and provide convenient access to protective infrastructure for all educational institutions.

Funding for the Concept's measures will come from state and local budgets, international technical assistance and other legal sources.

On 12 July 2023, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine presented its Vision for the Future of Education and Science in Ukraine (Візія освіти і науки України), which prioritises the reform of the ECEC system to ensure access to high-quality ECEC for every child. The vision outlines strategic and operational objectives in the field of ECEC, in line with broader education reforms.

On 26 September 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine amended the Regulation on Early Childhood Education Institutions to reflect the conditions under martial law. The Regulation establishes the legal, organisational and financial basis for the operation of ECEIs during this period. It focuses on ensuring children's access to quality ECEC and modernising the system to meet the needs and challenges of the war. This Regulation is an important step towards the systemic renewal of the ECEC, aligning with Ukraine's educational reforms and European standards.

 

2022

On 13 September 2022, the draft law on Early Childhood Education and Care was submitted to the Verkhovna Rada. The law aims to improve the functioning of the ECEC system.

Although the Russian aggression disrupted the early childhood education reforms, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and local education authorities made maximum efforts to maintain the network of educational institutions and ensure access to quality ECEC for Ukrainian children, including internally displaced children and children with special educational needs. In 2022, during martial law, the Ministry of Education and Science issued several advisory letters to preserve the ECEC and maintain the educational process under wartime conditions.