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The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has announced a reform that will change the system of financing educational institutions. Starting from the next academic year, schools with fewer than 45 students will no longer receive a state subvention. This was reported by Time Ukraine Israel, citing Gsminfo.
Which schools can stop working?
According to a government decree, from 1 September 2025, schools with fewer than 45 students will lose funding. These institutions will no longer receive state funds for their maintenance, including teacher salaries.
The only exceptions will be primary schools and specialised educational institutions for children with special educational needs, which will continue to receive the subvention. Other educational institutions with critically low enrolment will be able to continue operating only if they receive funding from local authorities. If communities do not provide funding, the schools will be closed and students will be transferred to other, larger educational institutions.
Why was this decision made?
The Cabinet of Ministers explains that this decision was made to optimise the network of educational institutions. According to the government, schools with a small number of students often face a number of problems:
- Insufficient provision of material and technical resources. These schools lack modern equipment, which reduces the quality of the educational process.
- Problems with teacher qualifications. In small schools, teachers are forced to teach several subjects at once, often without the appropriate specialisation.
- Limited socialisation of students. In classes with 5-6 students, children have few opportunities to communicate with their peers and do not experience healthy competition, which negatively affects their academic performance.
According to government officials, the elimination of small schools will help concentrate resources in larger institutions, which will provide better education.
What does this mean for hromadas?
The reform will hit rural communities especially hard, where schools with a small number of students are often the only educational institution in the region. The closure of such schools may make access to education more difficult, as children will have to travel long distances to new educational institutions.
At the same time, the government believes that this decision will create conditions for equal access to quality education, and local communities will receive an additional incentive to develop school infrastructure.
The reform raises both concerns and hopes. It is intended to optimise the school network and improve education, but it also poses serious challenges to communities. Time will tell whether it will live up to expectations.
