Ukrainian schools are preparing for tough changes: students may repeat a year without parental consent.

Ukraine is considering the possibility of allowing students to repeat a year due to low academic performance or prolonged absences. This was stated by the educational ombudsman Nadia Leshchik at a meeting with the Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi.

According to the proposal, students may stay in the same grade for one of three reasons: initial level of academic achievement, long absence from classes, or absence during the academic semester. The decision will be made by the pedagogical council without the need for parental consent.

At the meeting, issues of subsidies for supporting children with special educational needs in 2025, funding for educational institutions' shelters, and additional pay for preschool and extracurricular education teachers were also discussed.

Particular attention was paid to the issue of restoring academic freedom and reducing the burden on teaching staff. The first step in this direction will be to reduce the number of mandatory activities for teachers and students.