The preparation for the launch of the specialised senior secondary school requires from communities not only the identification of an institution that will become an academic-oriented lyceum. It is equally important to forecast the number of future senior secondary students, identify their educational needs, plan transport arrangements and, where necessary, agree on cooperation with neighbouring communities.

Representatives of Novoselytska community in Chernivtsi region discussed how this should work during a consultation with experts from the Swiss-Ukrainian DECIDE Project Zinovii Siryk, Maryna Zamfir, and Tetiana Tsiupra. The meeting was attended by the community leadership and the heads of the education department, as well as heads of educational institutions, teachers, and local councillors.

‘Back in 2021, we planned to establish two academic lyceums. But the situation has, of course, changed since then. We are witnessing an outflow of children after Grade 9, so today we are already talking about just one lyceum in Novoselytsia. It is important for us to understand how many children will be studying there, where it will be located, and how to organise transportation. There is also the issue of cooperation with neighbouring communities. During the consultation, we discussed all these challenges with experts and received practical recommendations on the next steps, taking into account the requirements of current legislation,’ says Adelina Rusnak, Head of the Education Department at Novoselytsia City Council.

During the consultation, the experts provided specific recommendations on:

• determining the location of the future academic lyceum, planning the necessary renovation and resources required to prepare the educational environment from 1 September 2027;
• conducting a survey of nine-graders in Novoselytska and neighbouring communities to understand their plans for continuing their education after Grade 9 and their educational needs, which must be taken into account when forming the profiles of the future academic lyceum;
• continuing talks with neighbouring communities about the possibility of their pupils attending the Novoselytsia Academic Lyceum and determining the format for future cooperation, particularly in terms of funding and the organisation of transport;
• continuing to communicate with students and parents about the essence and importance of reforming senior secondary education.

Ultimately, the success of the reform of specialised senior secondary schools at the local level depends on the ability of communities to think strategically, take proactive measures, and build sustainable partnerships to ensure equal access for schoolchildren to high-quality specialised secondary education.

Since March 2025, DECIDE experts have already consulted with 36 communities in Chernivtsi region on preparing for the reform of specialised senior secondary schools. If your community also requires advisory support, please submit an application via this link.

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