12-year education in Ukrainian schools to start on 1 September 2027

12-year education in Ukrainian schools to be introduced from 1 September 2027 - MES

Ukraine's transition to the A 12-year school education system will begin from 1 September 2027. This was reported by the Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Nadezhda Kuzmicheva.

According to her, the introduction of a new training model is part of the reform The New Ukrainian School (NUS) and will take place in stages, without sudden changes for students and parents.

What you need to know

Kuzmichova emphasised that no strict requirements for school entry age are set:

«It is up to the parents to decide at what age to send their child to school. There is no clear obligation or compulsion.».

This way, families will continue to be able to choose the best time to start their child's education, based on their child's readiness and the recommendations of specialists.

Why do you need 12 years of study

The Ministry of Education and Science explains that a 12-year school:

• harmonises the Ukrainian education system with the European standards;

• allows you to reduce your study load;

• allows more time for specialised training in high school;

• increases the competitiveness of graduates in the EU.

Context.

The transition to 12 years of education has been envisaged by the educational reform since 2017, but its full-scale implementation has been delayed. Now, the Ministry of Education and Science has confirmed a specific start date 2027.