Schools for Democracy

Schools for Democracy Narrative Report 2024

Ukraine: Recommends expansion of Schools for Democracy

The EWC Schools for Democracy in Ukraine should be expanded to include out-of-school education, vocational training and work with students at pedagogical universities in Ukraine.

Schools for Democracy: Supporting education reforms in Ukraine aims to support democratic reforms in school education by promoting democratic culture and democratic citizenship in policy and practice. 

In close cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Schools for Democracy aims to support systemic democratic transformations in the country. In particular, the programme supports the development and implementation of new policies. We facilitate re-training of teachers and school heads, and we support schools building safe and inclusive learning environments. Innovative teaching and learning materials, including digital, are also developed within the programme. 

Read more about the background of the project

Programme components

Policy Support

EWC contributes to the development and implementation of key policy documents facilitating education reforms in Ukraine in line with key principles of democracy and human rights.

Democratic School Development

EWC supports reforms in secondary education and strengthens national dialogue and social cohesion between different regions of Ukraine. The activities are based on the whole school approach and focus on strengthening democratic culture and fostering development of democratic competences at school.

Pre-school education reinforcement

EWC continues to support the ongoing educational reforms in Ukraine with a newly launched project aimed at pre-school education.

Related stories

UKRAINE: Learning during Extreme Adversity

In June 2024, a very special school reached out, asking EWC to help their staff with inclusive and participatory pedagogic approaches in the context of the systematic stress and traumas of war. Only a month later, the cruelty of war became plain for the world to see, when a missile was launched at Okhmadyt National Children’s Hospital, and the Superheroes School for young patients residing within.

UKRAINE: Fighting for a free and inclusive society

Ever since the Revolution of Dignity in 2014, the European Wergeland Centre has been actively engaged in helping Ukraine strengthen their democracy. Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, the work for educating the future generation in democracy and human rights has continued.

Kindergarten as an oasis of safety in Kyiv

Record number in blended courses

A tribute to the courage and endurance of our Ukrainian trainers

A recess from the war

When Russia invaded Ukraine, our Schools for Democracy team looked for ways to help. The trainers decided to organize meeting places integrating internally displaced children and their families with the local population.

The Wounded School

“The children are scared, I can see it. They have grown up and turned silent. They used to joke around during the lessons, and now they are too somber. They talk about where they live now, but without any enthusiasm. Their trauma is apparent”.

Schools for Democracy Final Report 2017-2021

“Schools for Democracy: Supporting Education Reforms in Ukraine” Programme implemented by the
European Wergeland Centre (EWC) aims to support democratic reforms in school education in Ukraine by promoting democratic culture and democratic citizenship in policy and practice.

Ukrainian schools use and develop toolbox

Developed for and by teachers, the Schools for Democracy toolbox has become a success: “I am especially pleased to see the practical experience of colleagues who skilfully find ways to develop civic competences of students both in the classroom and in extracurricular activities”, says Svitlana Bratoshevska, deputy head and physics teacher in the Mykolaiv Secondary School №29

A new curriculum for democratic competences in Ukraine

Ukraine recently approved a new competence based curriculum for basic secondary education. “The main change is that students will be offered the possibility to influence more the way things are being taught and that the teachers will have a chance to accommodate the students’ requests, says Roman Shyyan, deputy director of the Reform support team in Ukraine

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