---
title: "New school year in Ukraine: MON launches pilot of the upper profile school in 150 lyceums and simplifies grading for grades 5–9"
description: "Ukraine's MON has launched a pilot of the upper profile school in 150 lyceums, simplified grading for grades 5–9, and is preparing schools for power outages. 90% of educational institutions already have shelters."
date: 2026-09-01T05:04:03.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/mon-ukraine-new-school-year-2026-pilot-profile-school
tags: [ukraine-education, school-year-2026, nmt, ministry-of-education, profile-school, energy-resilience, curriculum-reform]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# New school year in Ukraine: MON launches pilot of the upper profile school in 150 lyceums and simplifies grading for grades 5–9

![Students writing a test in a Ukrainian classroom on the first day of the new school year under the Ministry of Education's simplified grading system](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/01/mon-ukrainy-novyy-uchebnyy-god-2026-pilot-profilnoy-shkoly/mon-ukrainy-novyy-uchebnyy-god-2026-pilot-profilnoy-shkoly-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- From September 1, 2026, 150 academic lyceums begin the pilot of the upper profile school in grades 10–12; the nationwide launch is scheduled for September 1, 2027
- MON has simplified grading for students in grades 5–9: one grade per semester, without mandatory indices of result groups
- 90% of schools in Ukraine have shelters; the key task is to ensure backup power supply for 8 hours
- The Cabinet of Ministers updated four state standards of general secondary education and increased hours for history and civic education in grades 7–9
- From January 1, 2027, MON Order No. 338 on the simplified recognition of learning results from temporarily occupied territories will come into force

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.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [MON: 90% of schools in Ukraine have a shelter; the task is to ensure backup power for 8 hours](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/mon-90-shkil-ukrayini-mayut-ukrittya-zavdannya-1788189264.html) - Подтверждает данные о 90% школ с укрытиями и задачу по 8 часам резервного питания. Соответствует тексту интервью МОН.
- [NMT passing score to be lowered to 130: MON responded — who will be affected](https://week.ukrainianwall.com/ru/165708-prohidniy-bal-nmt-vimagayut-zniziti-do-130-mon-vidpovilo-kogo-torknetsya) - Даёт контекст по обсуждению проходного балла НМТ. В основной статье упомянуто как часть обновления формата НМТ.
- [Veterans and residents of occupied territories will enroll in universities without the NMT: MON named 4 categories](https://week.ukrainianwall.com/ru/167310-veterani-ta-zhiteli-tot-vstupatimut-do-vishiv-bez-nmt-mon-nazvalo-4-kategoriji) - Даёт контекст по обсуждению проходного балла НМТ. В основной статье упомянуто как часть обновления формата НМТ.
- [Enrollment during the war. MON and UKI determined what the NMT procedure should take into account](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/vstup-pid-chas-viyni-mon-ta-utsoyao-viznachili-1784892619.html) - Подтверждает данные о 90% школ с укрытиями и задачу по 8 часам резервного питания. Соответствует тексту интервью МОН.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: How many lyceums are participating in the pilot of the upper profile school and when does it start?
**A:** From September 1, 2026, the pilot of the upper profile school is launched in 150 academic lyceums across Ukraine. Over the course of the year, they will trial new programs, profiles, and elective courses for grades 10–12. The nationwide launch of the profile school is scheduled for September 1, 2027.

### Q: What changed in the grading system for students in grades 5–9?
**A:** MON has simplified grading: current grades can be recorded in the journal without mandatory indices of result groups, and one grade per subject or integrated course is sufficient for a semester. The competency-based approach and the teacher's academic freedom have been preserved.

### Q: Are schools ready for power outages during the autumn–winter period?
**A:** According to MON data, 90% of schools in Ukraine have shelters. The key task for the autumn–winter period is to ensure backup power supply for at least 8 hours. In the event of a deterioration in the security situation or power supply disruptions, organizational measures are provided for, including a possible switch to distance learning.

### Q: What is happening with the NMT format in the 2026/2027 school year?
**A:** MON is processing an update of the NMT format. The discussion includes questions about the passing score and the categories of persons entitled to enroll without testing, including veterans and residents of temporarily occupied territories. The final parameters of the format are expected to be announced additionally.

### Q: Can students who started studying under the 2011 standard complete their education under the same program?
**A:** Yes. The Cabinet of Ministers' decision to update four state standards allows students who were not studying under the NUSH program to complete grades 10 and 11 under the 2011 standard, the one under which they began their studies.