Gorbachev on student draft dodgers, school uniforms, and the end of "soft Ukrainization": Schools shouldn't provide a mobilization resource.

Sergey Gorbatchev — became the first educational ombudsman of Ukraine following the establishment of this institution in 2019. This summer, his five-year term came to an end. During this period, the pandemic and the full-scale invasion struck—two devastating blows from which Ukrainian education has yet to fully recover.

So, what quality of education is Ukraine capable of maintaining? How can we keep high school students from rushing abroad before they reach adulthood, and who is to blame for their departure? How much should a regular teacher earn, and why is funding education not a priority for the state? Sergey Gorbatchev addressed these questions and more in an interview with "Telegraf".

"Schools Should Not Provide a Mobilization Resource"

– We are hearing a lot of concern about the fact that children are leaving Ukraine and soon there will be no one left to teach. Education Minister Oksen Lisovoy mentioned that students in grades 10-11, especially boys, are going abroad. There were figures from deputies stating that 300,000 high school students left just this year. How do you see the scale of this issue?

– There is a problem, and we can see it clearly. If the figure is 300,000, that is almost half of all children in high school (there are about four million schoolchildren in Ukraine, with approximately 600-700 thousand in grades 10-11). Those are very large numbers. Although I don’t believe they are entirely accurate, the problem does exist. Parents are indeed sending their children abroad because they do not want them to serve and defend Ukraine. This is the main reason.

– Can you agree with the minister's assertion that schools have not worked adequately with high school students and their parents? Is the fault with the educators if the children are leaving?

– The state is primarily to blame, if we frame the question this way. Education has never been a priority for the government, it is not now, and I fear it won't be for a long time. The state views education mainly as an expense rather than an investment in the future. This is the main problem. Everything boils down to money. The leaders who decide whether or not to allocate funding for education severely lack strategic thinking at the state level. Currently, almost the entire social sector, including education, is supported by the assistance of our partners. This is a huge amount of money, but I don’t understand why it is not being spent in a way that supports education.

When people say that teachers are to blame, I find it quite surprising and incomprehensible. Teachers are "guilty" of being burdened with so many unnecessary tasks: idiotic competitions, reports, completely unnecessary procedures. But what do teachers really need? Teachers need a decent salary and proper working conditions: well-equipped classrooms, safety, gadgets, [normal] treatment from the administration. Many problems for teachers arise from self-absorbed administration. Some people hold certain positions, and it seems they have nothing to do. They think, "Let’s show that we have stressed the school, teachers will hold some event, and we’ll have pictures—lots of pictures, definitely pictures, reports somewhere." What the heck? Why? A teacher should educate a child. This is very difficult work.

– Yet this accusation remains: parents are taking their children away due to the fear of mobilization, and the Ministry of Education claims that this fear was not addressed by the teachers or the school.

– This is a strange accusation. The communication policy of the state is not the responsibility of the school, but of other state institutions. If the government cannot communicate with people, cannot explain the importance of such matters, then what does the school have to do with it? Schools should not provide a mobilization resource; schools should educate! But for schools to be able to educate effectively, including fostering patriotism and readiness to defend the Motherland, they need to feel that they are valued by the state. I get the impression that the state is saying that schools are not needed, but obedient executors who post pictures from completely absurd events are needed.

"If There Is No Money, How to Teach?"

– What about the shortage of teachers? What is the current situation?

– This problem has always existed. We have always lacked teachers for English, physics, mathematics, and chemistry. Now, the shortage is even greater. However, the teacher shortage is not uniform across the board. It is localized geographically. In some areas, there is a catastrophic lack of teachers, while in others, teachers cannot find work. So, it really depends on the specific situation in a particular city or village, how far it is from the front line, and how well local authorities understand the needs of education and support teachers. Therefore, we cannot speak of a total shortage.

– You mentioned a decent salary for teachers . Let’s talk numbers. How much should a teacher in Ukraine earn right now, in your opinion?

– According to the law "On Education," the minimum salary for a teacher of the lowest category should be three minimum salaries. No less. Currently, the minimum salary is 7,100 hryvnias. So, by law, the minimum salary for a teacher should be 21,000 hryvnias. We do not have that. Why? Because, once again, the state, even in non-war, relatively peaceful times, does not find money for education. It believes that building roads is more important, that paying exorbitant salaries in law enforcement (to judges, prosecutors) is more important. The state demonstrates that teachers and education as a whole are not a priority.

– So, it turns out that the legal norms are simply not being followed?

– Yes. They are not being followed. Numerous resolutions postpone the implementation of this norm, which is enshrined in law.

– Now let’s talk about the effectiveness of education, specifically about the updated course "Defense of Ukraine." If you read some parents' reviews on social media, the update of the course has not met their expectations . The Ministry of Education promised large-scale training for teachers, the creation of interschool spaces, but in the end, parents complain (not all, but many) that children are doing some marches in class, or just writing something in their notebooks. Why is that?

– First of all, let’s not make sweeping generalizations. The implementation of this depends on the communities. The idea is (and it is absolutely correct) that instead of making dusty, powdery models of wooden guns, we should create spaces where children can come for the whole day and learn with more modern equipment. Learn to operate drones, see modern technology. I understand that the "betrayal" narrative is always more visible in Ukraine, and how bad everything is, but actually, that’s not the case. I know examples where these spaces have been created, but again, at whose expense? How to purchase this equipment? Moreover, this could be military equipment that requires specific permits and skills to handle, meaning people need to be trained. And training is very expensive. Quality education is always expensive. If there is no money, how can we teach? Where there is funding, where local communities have been responsible, they are achieving this.

But money is not the only issue. Where there is no desire or ability, there are problems. Where people want and can create, everything moves forward. I’ll explain with another example: for children to learn at all, schools need to have heating and lighting. And we see very vivid examples of how different communities and regions approach this issue differently. In some places, people started buying generators and battery stations in the spring. Meanwhile, some areas, including Kyiv, surprisingly, have a very low percentage of schools equipped with backup power sources. Children attend classes with their own lamps. Why is this the case? Maybe because local authorities decided to squeeze money out of parents? Let parents buy it with their own funds.

The same applies to the "Defense of Ukraine" subject. Investments are needed: preparing facilities, proper school buses that should travel not across freshly plowed fields but on good roads. Those roads needed to be built!

Moreover, a lot depends on the citizens themselves. If they regularly and effectively hold local authorities accountable, do not let them rest, ask questions, and review procurement results (what is being purchased and why), I must say, that works. People who are dissatisfied with how something is organized in the school need to go not only to the principal (although they should go to him first) but also to local authorities. If the principal is doing their job, they should clearly explain why things are not organized. If they cannot organize it, do not know how, or maybe there is no money? But the school principal does not have their own money. The school only receives funds from the founder, which means local authorities. If local authorities ignore the needs of education, then it’s necessary to confront the local authorities directly