High school is changing in Ukraine—what's in store for students in grades 10–12?
On September 1, 2026, the pilot phase of high school reform began in Ukraine. A new educational model for students in grades 10–12 is being tested in 150 academic lyceums, and there are plans to expand it nationwide starting September 1, 2027.
In the upper grades, education will become specialized. Students will be able to choose a field of study and subjects for in-depth study based on their own interests and future careers. An adjustment period is provided for in 10th grade, during which students can change their chosen specialization.
After 9th grade, students will have two main options: to continue their education at an academic lyceum or to enroll in a college. In academic lyceums, grades 10–12 will constitute a separate stage of specialized secondary education.
Each lyceum must offer at least three profiles covering the natural sciences and mathematics (STEM), languages and literature, and social sciences and humanities. In addition to in-depth subjects, students will be able to choose additional courses and design their own educational path.
The educational infrastructure will also change. As part of the Modern Learning Spaces project, STEM spaces and laboratories are being created in 250 educational institutions across 22 regions. A state subsidy of 1.9 billion hryvnias has been allocated for this purpose. Students are expected to have more opportunities for experiments, hands-on activities, and project work.
The first year of the reform will serve as a pilot program for 150 lyceums. Based on the results, the Ministry of Education and Science plans to refine the model before rolling it out nationwide in 2027. At the same time, new textbooks will be developed: for 10th grade in 2027, for 11th grade in 2028, and for 12th grade in 2029.
Source: Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
The Verkhovna Rada proposes retaining four subjects on the 2027 National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT).
As a reminder, the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment has published the results of the additional sessions of the National Multisubject Test (NMT-2026).
