To organise the educational process in wartime, security, access to education for students from among external and internal IDPs, as well as effective management decisions are of paramount importance. According to Oleh Yaremenko, Head of the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in Kirovohrad Oblast, they received dozens of questions from educators in the Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad and Odesa Oblasts. To address them, an info session was held.
Serhii Diatlenko, Education Expert at U-LEAD, reminded the participants that the educational process and the academic year were not the same thing.
“According to the resolution, the academic year begins on 1 September 2023 and lasts until 28 June 2024. However, it is important to keep in mind that the educational process is 35 academic weeks. The provision on 175 school days under martial law has been repelled,” said the speaker.
During the session, the expert explained the organisation of the educational process in schools under martial law. According to him, the educational format is determined by the decision of the regional military administrations and the founders of educational institutions and depends on the availability of bomb shelters and the ability to organise a safe educational process.
“The form of training may change depending on changes in the security situation, etc. If parents do not agree with the offline education format, they can choose another format such as distance learning, homeschooling or external study,” he said.
The event also discussed the specific decision-making powers of local self-government and personnel issues related to the appointment of a school director under martial law; organisation of the work of teachers who are staying abroad; suspending the work of an educational institution.
Andrii Lytvynchuk, First Deputy Director of the Institute of Educational Analytics, provided the participants with updated information on the submission of reports used to calculate educational subventions. He reminded that the deadline for the submission of information about students studying at an educational institution was 5 September 2023 at 6:00 p.m.
“On September 6, these data will be "downloaded" and transferred to make calculations. That is why it is important to double-check everything, because the amount of educational subsidies that the municipality receives from the state budget depends on the correctness of the submission of administrative and departmental reports,” said Mr Lytvynchuk.
He also announced changes regarding the education of children from among external and internal IDPs, which are expected in the near future in the field of education.
“Education is not something set in stone to gather dust but a process of constant movement and development,” Serhii Diatlenko said, summing up the info session.
He shared several life hacks on how to improve this process and make it more child-centred.
For instance, in order to preserve the health of children, the expert recommends installing standing desks and other elements for physical activity, planning lessons in pairs for high school students and walks for primary school students.
For the effective use of funds and other resources of educational institutions, study some disciplines in interschool resource centres and, if there are few students, create mixed year groups in primary school and combine students of the higher years for certain lessons (e.g., PE for years 5–6 or 8–9).
Serhii Diatlenko believes that schoolchildren can be motivated to study by cancelling grading in some subjects, introducing non-standard forms of classes (trips, festivals, research, intellectual games, etc.), projects with the involvement of students and setting up volunteer centres in schools.
In order to improve the efficiency of the educational process, the expert advises seeking mechanisms to reduce the use of mobile phones by students, creating open co-working spaces in school premises, as well as starting the educational process on September 4, leaving September 1 to organise interesting activities for children.
