From September 1, 2026, English has become a mandatory subject for all children aged 5–6 in kindergartens across Ukraine. In Kyiv, according to the Kyiv City State Administration (KCMA), 17,700 preschoolers have already begun the program. Classes are conducted through games and practical exercises, which, by design, allows children to acquire a foreign language in a natural, informal setting without the pressure of an academic curriculum.
Infrastructure: 236 teachers and 259 classrooms
To implement the program, 236 full-time English teacher positions were created in the capital's preschool institutions. In addition to staffing, the city has equipped 259 specialized classrooms where children can study in comfortable conditions. The KCMA emphasizes that the relevant teachers and specialized classrooms are present in every preschool institution in the capital, ruling out any situation in which some children would be left without access to the lessons.
School preparation as a strategic goal
Valentyn Mondryievskyi, Deputy Chairman of the KCMA, explained the logic behind introducing the program: "It is important to us that children can begin learning English already in kindergarten. This is not just additional knowledge, but also preparation for further education and new opportunities for the child." According to him, the city authorities are deliberately creating conditions under which this opportunity becomes available to every child, not only to those whose families can afford private language courses. Thus, learning English at ages 5–6 is positioned not as an optional extra, but as an organic part of preparation for the first grade.
National context: from pilot to mandatory standard
Kyiv's practice fits into a nationwide process: from September 1, 2026, English has officially become mandatory for children aged 5–6 in kindergartens across Ukraine. To this end, the position of English teacher is being introduced in preschool institutions, and instruction is delivered through games and practical activities. The shift from recommended programs to a mandatory standard means that by 2026 the country's preschool education system has completed its adaptation phase and secured the necessary staffing and material resources for a large-scale rollout.
Beyond the frame: early development in Kyiv kindergartens
The introduction of English is just one element of a broader strategy to expand opportunities for early childhood development in the capital. As RBC-Ukraine previously reported, the first groups for toddlers from six months old have opened in Kyiv kindergartens. The initiative is aimed at helping parents — primarily mothers — return to work earlier without giving up full-fledged preschool education for their child. Taken together, these measures point to a systematic restructuring of the capital's preschool network, in which language preparation and early development are becoming key priorities.
