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The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine takes steps to ensure the educational rights of Ukrainian children abroad, but is not empowered to influence educational processes outside the country.
The Accounting Chamber conducted a compliance audit to ensure that Ukrainian children living in European countries can receive Ukrainian school education. The audit covered the activities of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in the period from January 2022 to May 2025. The event was carried out as part of a coordinated international audit conducted jointly with the Supreme Audit Institutions of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania and Hesse (Germany). The Chairwoman of the Accounting Chamber Olha Pishchanska was responsible for the control measure.
In general, according to the auditors, despite the general compliance of the Ministry of Education and Science with the guidelines, there are systemic gaps that do not allow for the full realization of the right to education for hundreds of thousands of children who have been displaced by martial law.
LACK OF PROPER REGISTRATION OF SCHOOLCHILDREN
According to the European Commission, from the beginning of martial law in Ukraine until April 2025, more than 917,000 Ukrainian students were enrolled in the school systems of EU countries. However, according to the Report of the Council of Europe, in the second half of 2023, a significant proportion of Ukrainian school-age children abroad did not have access to formal education.
The audit found that the Ministry of Education and Science does not keep records of Ukrainian school-age children abroad, does not have accurate data on institutions abroad where Ukrainian is taught, and does not have information on children outside the education system.
Due to the lack of necessary powers and institutional connections, the Ministry of Education and Science can only account for students who are in the Ukrainian education system.
According to the Automated Information Complex of Educational Management (AICOM), at the beginning of 2025, 362,3 thousand students studied remotely in Ukrainian schools while abroad.
The lack of accurate data on all Ukrainian students abroad is one of the key problems in guaranteeing their rights. At the same time, some children are abroad and are not enrolled in either the Ukrainian or foreign education system.
Back in June 2023, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Education, Science, and Innovation recommended creating an up-to-date database of students abroad. This recommendation has not yet been implemented.
NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE REGISTRATION OF UKRAINIAN EDUCATION CENTERS ABROAD
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, there are more than 400 educational centers with Ukrainian language instruction outside the country, created mainly on the initiative of Ukrainian communities abroad. These institutions operate without government support, but receive methodological support and educational literature from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine through Ukraine's diplomatic missions.
At the same time, the Ministry of Education and Science does not keep proper records of such centers, which leads to a lack of accurate information about the number of students covered by such education. As a result, the state does not have a complete picture of the institutions that provide education in Ukrainian language or that teach Ukrainian. In addition, there are no international agreements that would regulate the exchange of information about Ukrainian children abroad, which limits the state's ability to ensure their educational rights.
REMOTE EDUCATION IS AT RISK
For many Ukrainian children who study in schools in their host countries and in the Ukrainian education system at the same time, the academic load is excessive. In order to reduce it, in 2023, the Ministry of Education and Science introduced a shortened training in the so-called Ukrainian studies component, which includes subjects that are not covered in foreign school curricula, including the Ukrainian language, literature, history of Ukraine, and geography. The relevant training lasts 6-8 hours a week, helps to preserve national identity, and at the same time does not overload students.
This educational form does not fully meet state standards and needs to be regulated.
Therefore, in August 2024, the Ministry of Education and Science approved a new procedure that stipulates that from the beginning of the 2025/2026 academic year, distance learning for students abroad will include only the study of the Ukrainian component. This approach has created the risk of losing the opportunity for more than 180,000 children to receive Ukrainian education in a full-fledged distance form.
Following the comments of the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine, the Ministry of Education and Science took measures to eliminate the identified shortcomings. Draft amendments to the relevant regulatory act have been prepared and are currently being registered with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. The amendments should ensure the continuity of distance learning for Ukrainian students who are forced to stay abroad.
THE UKRAINIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL NEEDS TO EXPAND ITS CAPACITY
One of the tools to ensure access to Ukrainian education for children abroad is the Ukrainian International School (UIS) State Lyceum, where education is provided on an external basis. In 2022-2025, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine took a number of measures to strengthen the capacity of this institution: the number of external students almost tripled, the geography of partner organizations expanded, and the school's staff increased. However, even under these conditions, as of the beginning of 2025, only about 9 thousand students are enrolled in the UIS.
The functional capabilities of the UIS are still limited. The school has not yet implemented a full-fledged distance learning program, which does not comply with the provisions of its own Statute. In addition, the lack of proper space and delays in approving strategic documents, including the new UIS Strategy, hinder the institution's development. All of this greatly limits the institution's ability to provide affordable education to Ukrainian children living abroad.
Based on the results of the audit, the Accounting Chamber of Ukrane provided the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine with six recommendations concerning:
- improving the collection, recording and exchange of information on school-age children abroad to facilitate their better support and integration;
- increasing access to Ukrainian education for Ukrainian students abroad in order to preserve their national identity;
- improving interagency cooperation and international cooperation of the Ministry of Education and Science to ensure the right of Ukrainian children to education abroad;
- expanding the functional and institutional capacities of the UIS to provide education to more Ukrainian children abroad.
«The Ministry has taken a number of steps to improve the situation with access to education for Ukrainian children abroad. However, the agency did not analyze the results of its activities and this did not contribute to strengthening the relevant state policy. I want to emphasize that we will monitor the implementation of our recommendations not in form, but in substance. The implementation of these recommendations should significantly contribute to fundamental changes in the system of education of Ukrainian children abroad.These children should be provided with the opportunity to receive education and keep in touch with their homeland», said the Chairwoman of the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine Olha Pishchanska.
In turn, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Nadiia Kuzmychova, who was present at the meeting, noted that the audit took into account the previous work of the Ministry in terms of school registration, educational centers and regulation of the activities of the UIS. She noted that the Ministry supports the recommendations and intends to implement them.
The report and the decision of the Accounting Chamber will be sent to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and published on the official website of the institution.
The control measures of other countries participating in the international coordinated audit to ensure the right to education of Ukrainian children in European schools are still ongoing. The Accounting Chamber will inform about the signing of the Joint Report on the international audit additionally.
