Practical solutions for forming a network of academic lyceums and implementing the reform of specialised senior secondary education were addressed by the participants of the strategic hackathon “Network Map: Transformation of Senior Secondary Education”, which was held on 12 June in Hatnenska community in Kyiv region, hosted by the Hatne Lyceum. The event brought together over 80 community leaders, their deputies, and heads of community education departments. The event was organised by DECIDE Project, the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities, and the New Ukrainian School (NUS) Implementation Office at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

The hackathon participants were welcomed by Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager; Oleksandr Palamarchuk, Mayor of Hatne; and Taras Dobrivskyi, Executive Director of the All-Ukrainian Association of Amalgamated Territorial Communities.

Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager, described the comprehensive support provided to communities and the state in implementing the reform of specialised senior secondary education.

‘DECIDE provides comprehensive support to the Government and communities in the implementation of the reform of specialised senior secondary education. Our experts consult more than 600 communities, most of which they have visited in person, helping to find customised solutions that take the local context into account whilst ensuring equal access for children to quality education. We also support the Government in conducting research that lays the foundations for the development of the network of lyceums, the creation of analytical tools such as GIS maps of the network, and the strategic planning of the reform. Another focus of our work is fostering cooperation among communities on academic lyceums. In parallel, we are developing a modern career guidance system through partnerships between communities, educational institutions, and the business sector, so that every child can make a conscious choice about their own educational and career path. I am convinced that this reform will be an important step towards creating a more flexible education system in Ukraine that is oriented towards the needs of young people,’ emphasised Valentyna Poltorak.

The key speakers at the event included:

• Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager;
• Alla Bondar, DECIDE National Expert on Local Self-Government;
• Svitlana Koliesnikova, Coordinator of the Educational Environment Division of the NUS Implementation Office;
• Vira Shchehol, Principal of Boiarka Academic Lyceum “Harmonia” of the Boiarka City Council.

The hackathon participants focused on the key challenges and strategic objectives of the specialised senior secondary education system, in particular:

• comprehensive support for communities in implementing the reform of the specialised senior secondary education system;
• introduction to practical tools for planning a network of academic lyceums;
• discussion of contemporary approaches and requirements for the formation of the educational environment in lyceums;
• learning the experience of pilot lyceums;
• development of roadmaps and practical models;
• formation of a network of academic lyceums.

The main activity of the hackathon was practical teamwork, during which the participants used real demographic and infrastructure data to model educational networks for different types of communities.

The work was structured around four scenarios:

• a large city: identifying the optimal number of academic lyceums;
• an academic lyceum based on inter-municipal partnership: organising the functioning of one efficient lyceum with an effective transportation of students system achieved through inter-municipal cooperation;
• a small rural community: ensuring access to specialised education where it is not feasible to run a school of its own;
• a community in an area of active urbanisation: identifying locations for new educational institutions and ways to reduce the outflow of secondary school students to large cities.

The event showed the high level of readiness among local governments to implement the reform of specialised senior secondary education. Despite the challenges posed by the war and demographic changes, communities are actively seeking solutions that will guarantee students a high-quality education, a wide range of options for choosing their educational path, and a safe learning environment.