Hello, school, what’s new?

Soon, on September 1, children will go to school again, but they will be learning according to new rules and innovations. The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has prepared a series of changes, and both children and teachers will have to get used to the 12-year form of education.

This reform of education implies that schools will have autonomy with the ability to independently form educational programs, curricula and choose teaching methods. The Ministry of Education and Science will retain control over the quality and standard of education. School management will be carried out locally.

Mukachevo.net has singled out a number of significant major changes that have been prepared for teachers and students by the Ministry:  

–    Teachers will have the right to tell grades only to a child and his or her parents.

As noted, there will be no more score ratings or so-called walls of honour or shame. The teacher has no right to announce test results in front of the whole class.

– In elemenatry school, the first-graders will not be graded.

In the first grade, as well as in the first semester of the second grade, students’ works will not be evaluated, and in the second semester – by the decision of the educational board. Also, such subjects as music, fine arts, labor training, etc. will not be graded during all four years in elementary school. 

– There will be new rules for grading children in elementary school.

 Teachers will no longer evaluate calligraphy, but the requirements for neatness and readability of writing will remain.

– Children will be taught to write with pencils first.

Thus, the teachers themselves will decide when a child can start writing with a pen. If necessary, a child can write with pencil up until 3rd grade.   

– Making marks in red ink in notebooks of first-graders will be prohibited.

Schools are planning to abandon using red ink, which has been used to correct mistakes and write grades.

– Requirements and criteria for the design of notebooks have been cancelled.

Now, notebook can be designed in a free form, it only has to look neat. Teachers themselves will decide on the design of notebooks. And the presence of tidy corrections made by a child, will not affect the grade.

– There will be no homework for holidays.

Probably, it is this decision that children were wanting the most.

Of course, the changes will affect teachers too. There will be a professional re-certification for everyone. Certification for teachers will be voluntary. In case of successful certification, teachers will be paid a monthly supplement in amount of 20% of the salary for the duration of the certificate.