Starting September 1, high schools will operate under a new system: what students and parents need to know
24 April 07:45
Starting in the new school year, lyceums in Ukraine will operate under updated regulations—featuring a clear academic focus, multiple academic tracks, and updated approaches to organizing the educational process. This was reported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine announced that the government has already updated the Regulations on Lyceums, which define new approaches to organizing instruction, specialization, admission to 10th grade, and the educational process.
What the new Regulations on Lyceums Change
According to the Ministry of Education and Science, the updated Regulations establish the lyceum as a purely academic institution. This means that its primary function is to provide specialized secondary education for high school students.
At the same time, the elementary and basic levels within the lyceum’s structure may remain only as an exception, subject to the founder’s decision.
The Ministry of Education and Science emphasizes that this decision is part of a broader transition to a new model of upper secondary education.
The changes will be implemented in phases. Starting September 1, 2026, the new model will take effect for 150 pilot lyceums, and starting September 1, 2027, for all academic lyceums in Ukraine.
What academic tracks should lyceums offer
One of the key innovations is the mandatory availability of at least three academic tracks. These should include in-depth study of subjects or specialized courses within one or more educational fields.
According to the Ministry of Education and Science, the profiles are divided into three main clusters:
- science and mathematics (STEM);
- language and literature;
- social sciences and humanities.
If a lyceum is the only one in a community, it must offer at least one profile from each cluster. This is intended to ensure students have a choice even in small communities.
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The updated Regulations stipulate that high school students will be able to independently choose their academic profile and shape their individual educational path through elective components.
The Ministry of Education and Science also notes that lyceums must have a transparent procedure for changing profiles—based on the student’s request and with mandatory counseling. This is one of the core elements of the new upper secondary school system, where education is intended to become more flexible and better aligned with students’ interests.
Lyceums will be able to create flexible and cross-class groups, which will allow for in-depth study of subjects, project-based learning, and other flexible formats of the educational process. The Ministry explains that this is necessary for the effective operation of a specialized school, where students can follow different learning paths within a single institution.
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How Grading Will Change
The updated rules allow lyceums to use one of three grading scales:
- “pass/fail”;
- level-based—four levels: P / S / D / V;
- a point-based scale—a 12-point scale.
If a school implements its own scale, it must separately define how results will be converted to the scale established by law. This means that, formally, lyceums will have more freedom, but without deviating from national requirements.
When will the competition for 10th grade admission take place?
The Ministry of Education and Science separately notes that the competition for admission to 10th grade will be held only when the number of applications exceeds the number of available spots.
The lyceum develops the competition regulations independently but must publish them on its website no later than three months before the start of enrollment.
Similarly, the institution must publish its curricula and educational programs in advance. This is intended to make the admissions process more transparent for students and parents.
A separate set of changes concerns safety. The format of the educational process will be determined based on the specific situation, particularly the availability of shelters and safety conditions in the region.
There may be changes to the structure of the school day if the situation requires it. The Ministry of Education and Science had previously approved specific guidelines for organizing education during wartime, and the new Regulations on Lyceums align with these approaches.
A center for teaching the subject “Defense of Ukraine” may be established within the lyceum. Additionally, the document explicitly provides for the possibility of collaboration between lyceums and universities, other educational institutions, and partners to expand educational opportunities for high school students.
This means that specialized education can be developed not only within the lyceum itself but also through partnership formats.
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