The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has defined the key directions of work for the 2026 academic year. Among the main priorities, the head of the ministry, Andrii Butenko, named the safety of children, the energy resilience of educational institutions, and ensuring access to education for students from remote settlements. According to the minister, more than 25,000 educational institutions are being prepared for the new academic year in the country, and the government has set the task of providing shelters for the maximum possible number of schoolchildren.
Safety and infrastructure: shelters and a thousand new buses
An important element of the preparation for the academic year will be the expansion of the school bus fleet. Butenko reported that the ministry has a plan to add another 1,000 buses so that the profile school can work and children from remote settlements can get to educational institutions and receive quality education. At the same time, he said, the energy resilience of schools is being strengthened: generators, solar panels, and energy storage systems are provided for this, which is especially relevant given the ongoing attacks on infrastructure.
Restoring textbooks and working with publishers
The Ministry of Education and Science is paying separate attention to restoring the print runs of textbooks destroyed as a result of Russian attacks. The ministry is actively working with publishers to make up for the shortage of teaching materials and ensure students have the necessary resources for the new academic year. This direction is directly linked to the overall priority of safety and the continuity of the educational process.
Reducing the burden on teachers: class journals and certificates
One of the solutions aimed at reducing the bureaucratic burden on teachers will be a change in the approach to entering groups of learning assessment results in class journals. Butenko reported that he has already signed the corresponding order: the mandatory recording of groups of learning results by type of education in class journals is being abolished. The minister emphasized that this is not the cancellation of the education reform, but rather a simplification of record-keeping and a reduction of paperwork, while maintaining the state standard, the competency-based approach, and the teacher's academic freedom in choosing methods. In addition, the validity period of the teacher's certificate is planned to be increased from three to five years.
Upper secondary school reform and the subject "Defense of Ukraine"
In the current academic year, piloting of the upper secondary profile school reform will begin in 150 academic lyceums. The reform provides for the possibility for students to choose a profile, subjects, and their own educational trajectory, and the school should help the child decide on further studies and a profession. Also, this year they plan to expand the network of units teaching the subject "Defense of Ukraine," with the aim of covering 100% of upper secondary school students with this educational component.
Teachers' salaries and the review of the NMT format
The Ministry of Education and Science and the Cabinet of Ministers are actively developing school and higher education, helping teachers. Thus, from September 1, 2026, teachers' salaries will increase by another 20%, and overall, compared to 2025, the remuneration of educators should increase by 50%. Butenko also announced a review of the format of the National Multi-Subject Test: among the possible changes are greater flexibility in testing, the possibility of retaking, and a reduction of stress for applicants.
