On September 1, 2026, a new 2026/2027 school year begins in Ukraine, which will be one of the most transformative in recent years. The Ministry of Education and Science has prepared a package of changes covering the update of four state standards of general secondary education, the launch of a pilot model of the upper profile school in 150 academic lyceums across the country, the simplification of the grading system for students in grades 5–9, and the strengthening of the energy resilience of educational institutions ahead of the autumn–winter period. This was stated by the MON press service in an interview with RBC-Ukraine, answering questions about schools' readiness for the new school year and the planned reforms.

Safety and energy resilience: in-person learning as a priority

The organization of the educational process in the 2026/2027 school year will take into account the security situation in each individual administrative-territorial unit. According to MON data, to date 90% of schools in Ukraine have shelters, and the key task for the autumn–winter period is to ensure backup power supply for at least 8 hours. In preparing educational institutions, special attention is paid to creating safe conditions for the presence of students and staff, the proper condition of shelters, compliance with fire, technological, and sanitary safety requirements, as well as the uninterrupted operation of engineering networks. In-person learning is considered the most optimal, but it is possible only on the condition of ensuring the safe presence of participants in the educational process. The structure and duration of the school year, the school week and day, as well as the forms of organizing the educational process, are considered and approved by the pedagogical council of the educational institution. In the event of a deterioration in the security situation or disruptions in the operation of critical infrastructure, in particular power supply systems, organizational measures and the strengthening of the energy resilience of institutions are provided for.

Updating standards and curricula: what will change in content

The Cabinet of Ministers has updated four state standards of general secondary education. The decision allows students who were not studying under the NUSH program to complete grades 10 and 11 under the same program they started with, that is, under the 2011 standard. At the same time, the decision establishes a Ukrainian studies component for children living abroad and in temporarily occupied territories, increases the number of hours for history and civic education in grades 7–9, and updates approaches to inclusivity and accessibility. In addition, common basic curricula are provided for institutions providing profile secondary education, and a separate plan for institutions of specialized education. From January 1, 2027, the updated Procedure for Recognizing the Learning Results of Students and Youth from Temporarily Occupied Territories, approved by MON Order No. 338, will come into force, which significantly simplifies and accelerates the integration of schoolchildren into the Ukrainian educational space.

Pilot of the upper profile school: 150 lyceums as a testing ground for the reform

From September 1, 2026, 150 academic lyceums across Ukraine begin operating under a new model of education in grades 10–12, piloting the upper profile school. Over the course of the year, they will trial new educational programs, profiles, and elective courses, work out mechanisms for forming individual educational trajectories for students, launch and test the work of career education counselors, and continue the training and professional support of teachers and management teams. In parallel, the lyceums are equipping modern classrooms, laboratories, and other educational spaces, collecting feedback from students, teachers, parents, and institution heads. Based on the pilot results, decisions will be adjusted, and from September 1, 2027, the formed approaches should become the foundation of the upper profile school across the country. MON emphasizes the need for cooperation among military administrations, local self-government bodies, heads of educational institutions, and the parent community to prepare the network of academic lyceums for the nationwide launch.

Simplifying grading and updating the NMT format

From the new school year, MON has simplified the grading of students in grades 5–9, preserving the competency-based approach and the teacher's academic freedom. Current grades can now be recorded in the journal without mandatory indices of result groups, and one grade per subject or integrated course can be assigned for a semester. The issue of the National Internal Testing deserves separate attention: MON is processing an update of the NMT format. In the context of discussing the passing score and the categories of persons entitled to enroll in universities without the NMT, the ministry previously identified four categories, including veterans and residents of temporarily occupied territories. The NMT procedure, as MON and the UKI (Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assurance) noted, should take into account the specifics of learning under wartime conditions.

Contradictory data

No significant contradictions between MON's statements and data from additional sources were found in the provided materials. However, it is worth noting that in the introductory part of the RBC-Ukraine interview, the update of the NMT format is characterized as a process that the ministry is "processing," whereas in publications by Ukrainian Wall and RBC-Ukraine (sources 2–4), specific parameters are already being discussed: a possible reduction of the passing score to 130 points and the approved categories of persons exempt from testing. This creates the impression that some decisions on the NMT have already been made, but their final wording and effective dates are not detailed in the text of the interview with MON. Thus, information on the NMT format for the 2026/2027 school year remains in the clarification stage, and the final parameters may be published additionally.