---
title: "Mathematics is the key to victory: why education in Ukraine cannot become 'easier' during wartime"
description: "Education Ombudsman Nadiya Leshchyk spoke out against abolishing mandatory mathematics in the NMT, calling it a 'path to defeat' due to a shortage of personnel in the defense industry and the economy. She also criticized the idea of stretching the exam over several days, pointing out the risks for graduates in frontline zones. 🇺🇦📉🎓"
date: 2026-06-10T09:02:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/mathematics-is-the-key-to-victory-why-education-in-ukraine-cannot-become-easier-during-wartime
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Mathematics is the key to victory: why education in Ukraine cannot become 'easier' during wartime

![Students in a computer lab under the supervision of an instructor: symbolizing the importance of quality education in Ukraine during wartime](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/10/obrazovatelnyj-ombudsman-protiv-otmeny-matematiki-na-nmt/obrazovatelnyj-ombudsman-protiv-otmeny-matematiki-na-nmt-1.webp)

A debate has erupted in the Ukrainian educational space regarding the future of the National Multi-Subject Test (NMT). At the center of attention is the proposal to make mathematics an optional subject and to spread the examination process over several days. Education Ombudsman Nadiya Leshchyk has voiced strong criticism of these initiatives, calling them potentially dangerous for the country's future.

### Mathematics as the foundation of the economy and defense

The idea to reduce the mandatory NMT curriculum and reclassify mathematics as an elective subject was voiced by a group of People's Deputies as part of an alternative draft law on the 2027 admission campaign. However, experts see a serious threat to the quality of human capital in this move.

Nadiya Leshchyk emphasizes that mathematics forms basic cognitive skills and analytical thinking, without which the development of key economic sectors is impossible. "Ukraine already needs, and will need in the future, specialists for the economy, infrastructure, and defense complex," the Ombudsman noted.

The problem of a shortage of qualified personnel is already acute. As an example, Leshchyk cited the position of representatives of the defense company Fire Point. Specialists note a deficit of employees capable of working with high-precision weapons, navigation systems, and ballistics. In the Ombudsman's opinion, an attempt to simplify mathematical education is a direct path to defeat.

Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lysiv, Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko, and the leadership of the Ukrainian Center for Evaluation of Education Quality have already spoken against excluding mathematics from the mandatory list. They are convinced that even in wartime, mathematics must remain a mandatory component of testing.

### Risks of multi-day testing in wartime conditions

A separate aspect of the debate concerns the format of the exam. The Ombudsman calls proposals to conduct the NMT over several days inadvisable. Although such a model may seem convenient for some regions, it creates unequal conditions for graduates from frontline and border areas.

Many applicants today are forced to travel to testing centers, risking shelling. Spreading the exam over several days will only increase risks, as well as expenses for transport and accommodation. Difficulties will also arise for Ukrainian students abroad, who will have to visit examination centers multiple times.

"In wartime conditions, everyone experiences inconveniences during the NMT. Dividing the testing into several days will put children from different regions in unequal conditions. Therefore, this should not be done," Leshchyk summarized.

### Technical failures and protection of applicants' rights

The Ombudsman also touched upon the topic of technical problems faced by test participants. She reminded that backup workstations must be provided at exam centers in case of computer, internet, or power outages.

The key principle that the system must adhere to: the time spent fixing malfunctions should not be counted against the participant, and organizers are obliged to compensate for these losses. Commenting on the resonant case of an applicant from Vinnytsia, Leshchyk suggested that the problem might have been related to the negligence of staff at the temporary examination center.

In such situations, the Ombudsman advises not to panic, but to immediately file an appeal and an application to participate in an additional session to protect one's right to enter a university.