Preparation of communities for specialised senior school reform was discussed as a key topic in Poltava region

March 17, 2026

On 12 March, a workshop entitled ‘Reform of Specialised Senior Secondary Schools: Opportunities and Challenges for the Community’ was held in Poltava. The event was part of a training programme for heads of regional education departments. The programme ran from 17 February and brought together heads of education authorities from 57 communities.

The key speakers at the event were:

Nadiia Kuzmychova, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine;
Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager;
DECIDE Project experts: Serhii Yatskovskyi, Nadiia Balabust, Kateryna Nemyrovska, Pavlo Ostapenko, Yurii Orel, Alla Bondar, Olena Hulenko.

During the discussion, heads of education authorities raised the following topical issues on:

requirements for the minimum number of pupils in senior grades;
transformation of the network of general secondary education institutions and the powers of local authorities in this process;
feasibility of shortening the duration of public consultation on decisions regarding the reorganisation, closure or re-profiling of educational institutions;
mechanisms for 9th-grade pupils to complete their general secondary education;
the need for a greater number of smaller-capacity school buses due to a decrease in pupil numbers and, at the same time, an increase in transport routes.

Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager, presented opportunities for cooperation with Poltava region within the framework of the second phase of the Project.

DECIDE experts focused not only on the reform of specialised secondary education, but also on tools for introducing financial autonomy for educational institutions and developing the career guidance system. This is a key prerequisite for the reform, as it helps pupils make informed choices about their educational and career paths.

During the workshop, the participants also visited:

Lyceum No. 17 ‘Intellect’ of the Poltava City Council;
DECIDE career guidance hub at the Reshetylivka Vocational Agricultural Lyceum, established with the support of DECIDE Project.

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