This chapter brings together international data about upper secondary education in Ukraine to highlight key reflections for the country as it reforms this level of education. The chapter looks at attainment of upper secondary education, student engagement and motivation with school, students’ aspirations for their future careers and how far they undertake responsible actions for social good, notably for the environment.
Transforming General Upper Secondary Education in Ukraine
Insights from International Experiences
Abstract
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has had, and continues to have, a devastating impact on Ukraine’s children, teachers, and schools. The humanitarian loss is shattering – as of September 2024, 2 180 children had lost their lives or been injured (UNICEF, 2024[1]). Significant parts of the country’s education infrastructure have been destroyed – more than 1 300 educational facilities in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed. According to the Ministry of Education and Science, as of May 2024, about 2 million children in Ukraine are directly affected by school and kindergarten closures (UNICEF, 2024[1]). Against this background of humanitarian and structural loss, education in Ukraine continues to function. Around a third of children and young people continue to attend school in-person, while a third continues online and another third in blended contexts (UNICEF, 2023[2]).
Despite the testing context, Ukraine is advancing reforms across its education system. The Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science’s Strategic Plan to 2027 aims to create a system where all children have a safe, modern learning environment with ample opportunities for self-realisation, and access to high‑quality education. At the culmination of the education system, young adults will engage with lifelong learning, buoyed by personal confidence and resilience, able to move across professional paths to achieve personal and national aspirations (MoES, 2024[3]). In September 2024, the Ministry of Education and Science published its Reform for Specialized Secondary Education, setting out the aim that each student will be able to pursue their own individual educational trajectory, based on different subject profiles and clusters (MoES, 2024[4]).
At the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science’s request, the OECD is supporting the country as it designs, develops and implements a major reform of its Academic Lyceums - general upper secondary education, (ISCED 3) (OECD/Eurostat/UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2015[5]). As part of this work, the OECD has developed this report to provide insights and advice for Ukraine’s reforms based on international evidence and experience. The report combines analysis of international data, research, the experiences of country peers and Ukraine’s own recent experiences of implementing reforms in primary and middle school (lower secondary education). It provides policy options to support Ukraine’s ambitions to transform upper secondary education in the country.
The report includes:
Chapter 1 provides a diagnosis of the Ukrainian upper secondary system, based on analysis of international data, highlighting key priorities for Ukraine as it reforms its Academic Lyceums.
Chapter 2 draws on evidence and research of upper secondary education internationally to set out a vision for Ukraine’s reformed Academic Lyceums. The Chapter identifies three ambitions to support Ukraine’s objectives; each underpinned by policy options.
Chapter 3 discusses practical experiences from peer countries – France, Germany, Poland and Sweden – who have implemented policies with shared objectives in recent years. The Chapter provides tangible and specific policy insights for Ukraine so that the country can directly learn from, and build on, other systems’ experiences.
Chapter 4 draws on Ukraine’s own experiences implementing reforms in primary and lower secondary school in recent years to suggest key objectives as the reforms are piloted and implemented, outlining the roles and responsibilities of the central stakeholders – notably Ukrainian schools and the Ministry of Education and Science.
At the upper secondary level, Ukraine is reflecting on what its Academic Lyceums might look like in the future. Reforming the Academic Lyceums is a continuation of the process that began in 2017, when the New Ukrainian School (NUS) was implemented in the first two years of primary school. The NUS seeks to change teaching and learning by focusing on competency development through active and engaging pedagogy (MoES, 2019[6]). Also in 2017, an additional year was added to upper secondary education in Ukraine, which when it comes into effect in 2027 will bring the duration of formal schooling in the country to 11 years closer to practices across OECD countries, where 12 is the most frequent duration for schooling (OECD, 2023[7]).
Key imperatives for the reform of the Lyceums include:
Enabling students to pursue personalised pathways while retaining the system’s rigour and coherence.
Promoting competency development through active and engaging learning.
Ensuring that the first cohort of students entering the additional year of upper secondary – Grade 12 – in 2029 use their time in valuable and engaging ways.
The period when young Ukrainians attend Academic Lyceums corresponds to upper secondary education in an internationally comparative context. Upper secondary education (ISCED 3) is the final stage of formal schooling which prepares individuals to either enter work or tertiary education. Internationally, defining features of upper secondary include greater choice, in terms of the subjects and courses that students take, and space to acquire deeper skills in targeted areas (OECD, 2024[8]).
Given the crucial position of upper secondary education as the gateway to the adult world, it needs to serve several functions to pave the way for smooth transitions into tertiary education, and ultimately work:
1. Acquiring competencies
Students in upper secondary education must acquire a robust foundation in key skills, like mathematics and their national language, balanced by deeper competence in targeted subject-specific areas which provides the basis for greater complexity in tertiary education. Transversal competencies – the learning that places across subjects – like co-operation, organisation and autonomy are essential for young people to thrive in the complex, yet exciting world beyond the doors of their school.
2. Nurturing agency
To help young people start defining their future, upper secondary helps them identify their talents and strengths. Choices and options at this stage of education - about what learners focus on and where they specialise – coupled with supported decision making, fosters agency. Young people’s emerging sense of how they can effect change, in their own lives and in the world around them, is foundational to their capacity to generate value for their societies.
3. Developing awareness of the world beyond school
To help students access fulfilling and rewarding jobs, upper secondary has an important role in helping them explore careers, for example by facilitating access to people in work, organising workplace visits and developing application and interview skills (OECD, 2021[9]). Civic and work experiences at this level of education, such as volunteering, projects with employers and internships can help young people apply what they have learnt at school to practical, real-life contexts. These experiences can also contribute to the development of new competencies while underscoring the value of students’ existing skills, some of which school might not always enable them to display.
Sources: OECD (2024[8]), Managing choice, coherence, and specialisation in upper secondary education, OECD Education Spotlights, n°10, https://doi.org/10.1787/4a278519-en; OECD (2023[10]), Policy pointers for equitable, effective and personalised upper secondary transitions, OECD Education Spotlights, n°7, https://doi.org/10.1787/ac6c2095-en; Perico E Santos; A. (2023[11]), Managing student transitions into upper secondary pathways, OECD Education Working Papers, n°289, https://doi.org/10.1787/663d6f7b-en; Stronati, C. (2023[12]), The design of upper secondary education across OECD countries: Managing choice, coherence and specialisation, OECD Education Working Papers; n°288, https://doi.org/10.1787/158101f0-en; OECD (2021[9]). Indicators of teenage career readiness: Guidance for policy makers, OECD Education Policy Perspectives, n°43, https://doi.org/10.1787/6a80e0cc-en.
The structure of upper secondary education in Ukraine
Upper secondary education in Ukraine is comparatively short and no part of it is compulsory
Currently, the theoretical duration of upper secondary education in Ukraine is two years, from Grade 10 to Grade 11. Two years is comparatively short compared to other OECD countries, where upper secondary education is most frequently three years (OECD, 2024[13]). Moreover at 17, students are young when they complete upper secondary education in Ukraine, compared to other OECD countries where the ending age is most frequently 18 or 19 (Figure 1.1). In most OECD countries, at least part or all of upper secondary education is compulsory, as the length of compulsory schooling can encourage attendance and in turn increase upper secondary attainment (OECD, forthcoming[14]). However, in Ukraine most students attain upper secondary education despite no part of it being compulsory (Figure 1.2).
The additional year at the end of upper secondary education will bring the duration of schooling in Ukraine closer to international practices
From September 1, 2027, a new reform will be implemented, and the school system will pass from a 11-year cycle to a 12-year cycle. School education will be divided into three levels:
Primary education (Grades 1-4),
Basic secondary education (Grades 5-9),
Specialised secondary education (Grades 10-12).
The additional year of schooling will mean that upper secondary education in Ukraine will be more aligned with OECD countries, with a duration of three years and ending age at 18 (Figure 1.1). The first to study under the new programme will be tenth graders in 2027, those who began their studies under the system of the New Ukrainian School (Law of Ukraine, 2020[15]). The introduction of an additional year aims to give more time to students to specialise but also to explore subjects of their choice.
subject or domain. The gymnasiums and lyceums have selective admission systems. They are perceived to be higher-quality schools granting better access to prestigious higher education institutions. However, these perceptions may principally result from stringent criteria for admission to these schools, rather than the quality of instruction and the “value-added” that they contribute (OECD, 2017[16]).
Upper secondary education offers two programmes to students
In upper secondary education, students in Ukraine are offered two options: an academic programme (general education in ISCED classifications) and a professional programme (vocational in ISCED classifications). The general programme is based on a combination of the content of education, defined by the standard of specialised secondary education, and in-depth study of individual subjects, taking into account the abilities and educational needs of students with a focus on continuing education at higher levels of education. The vocational programme offers labour-oriented specialised training based on a combination of the content of education defined by the standard of specialised secondary education and a professionally oriented approach to learning, taking into account the abilities and needs of students (Law of Ukraine, 2017[17]). In 2019, the share of upper secondary students enrolled in Vocational education and training (VET) was 30.5% (European Training Foundation (ETF), 2020[18]), slightly below the average across OECD countries (37%) (OECD, 2024[13]).
Students in upper secondary currently cover a very wide range of subjects with few options to choose their own pathway
While the programme in the gymnasiums and lyceums is slightly more specialised than lower levels of education, all students are required to study a wide range of compulsory subjects in upper secondary education. Students typically study 20 subjects in upper secondary education. This contrasts with around 6-8 subjects in most OECD systems (OECD, 2024[8]).
One of the defining features of upper secondary education internationally is the provision of more options and differentiated classes (OECD/Eurostat/UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2015[5]). In most OECD countries, students in general upper secondary education are typically able to make choices around some of the subjects that they study. They often also choose the level of depth at which they study certain subjects, especially compulsory subjects in key skills areas such as mathematics and the national language, and a specialisation in a domain or discipline of particular interest, such as sciences or humanities (Stronati, 2023[12]). In contrast, in Ukraine, students in upper secondary education, regardless of the institutions they attend have no choice to determine the content of their study, in terms of their subjects, levels or specialisations.
In the past, most schools used to all levels of education, but now there are more upper secondary schools offering specialised education
A unique feature of upper secondary education in Ukraine is the high share of students attending schools that cover the full range of schooling levels (ISCED 1-3), the so-called neighbourhood schools. The more specialised gymnasiums (offering ISCED levels 2-3) and lyceum schools (offering ISCED level 3) were introduced in 1990, to provide more specialised education. While institutions covering just ISCED 2 and 3 are increasingly common, they continue to reflect a minority of school enrolments. In 2015/16, across all school types specialised gymnasiums made up just 8% of enrolments (OECD, 2017[16]).
The neighbourhood schools that most children attend do not select children for entry and generally do not specialise in a specific subject or domain. The gymnasiums and lyceums have selective admission systems. They are perceived to be higher-quality schools granting better access to prestigious higher education institutions. However, these perceptions may principally result from stringent criteria for admission to these schools, rather than the quality of instruction and the “value-added” that they contribute (OECD, 2017[16]).
Note: It is assumed that age references refer to age on 1 January of the reference year. Countries are ranked in alphabetical order.
Source: Law of Ukraine (2020[15]), On Complete General Secondary Education (Про повну загальну середню освіту) No. 463-IX; Stronati, C. (2023[12]), The design of upper secondary education across OECD countries: Managing choice, coherence and specialisation, OECD Education Working Papers; n°288, https://doi.org/10.1787/158101f0-en.
Building on the strong foundations of Ukraine’s Lyceums
Almost all young Ukrainians attain upper secondary education
For most systems, the most immediate challenge at the upper secondary level is ensuring that young people participate and complete this level of education. Ukraine stands out internationally with a very high share of its young people completing upper secondary education. In 2021, just over 97% of the country’s 20-24 year-olds had attained upper secondary education (Eurostat, 2021[19]). This is more than 10 percentage points higher than the average across the European Union (EU) (84.4%) (Figure 1.2).
Attainment of upper secondary in Ukraine is also equitable across genders. In 2021, the difference in upper secondary attainment between men and women was negligible (0.4%). In contrast, on average across EU countries there was a gender gap in favour of women of 5.2% (Eurostat, 2021[19]).
Proportion of 20-24-year-olds having attained at least an upper secondary education, 2021
Note: OECD-25 is the average of the 25 OECD countries for which Eurostat collects data (22 members of the OECD and the EU in addition to Iceland, Norway and Switzerland).
Source: Eurostat (2021[19]), European Neigbhourhood Policy - East - education statistics, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=European_Neighbourhood_Policy_-_East__education_statistics#Educational_attainment_among_people_aged_20-24_years (accessed on 15 June 2024).
Many of Ukraine’s young people transition to tertiary education after upper secondary
For many young people and their families in Ukraine, completing tertiary education is central to their plans for their educational and working lives. Following upper secondary education, a comparatively high share of young Ukrainians progress to tertiary education and complete it. In 2021, 58% of 30–34-year-olds in Ukraine had completed tertiary education, higher than the average across the EU (41.9%) (Figure 1.3).
Proportion of 30-34-year-olds having completed tertiary education, 2021
Note: OECD-25 is the average of the 25 OECD countries for which Eurostat collects data (22 members of the OECD and the EU in addition to Iceland, Norway and Switzerland).
Source: Eurostat (2021[19]), European Neigbhourhood Policy - East - education statistics - Population aged 30-34 who completed tertiary or equivalent education, https://doi.org/10.2908/ENPE_EDAT_LFSE_03; Eurostat (2021[20]), Tertiary educational attainment, age group 30-34, https://doi.org/10.2908/TESEM030
Preparing young people for the imperatives of the changing world
Young people’s entry to Academic Lyceums in Ukraine, and upper secondary more generally, occurs at a critical juncture in a young person’s life. Prior to entering upper secondary education, adolescents have typically experienced learning in a highly structured context, with what they learn and how they spend their time determined entirely by their schools. Yet by the end of upper secondary, adolescents are preparing to enter the loose, complex worlds of work and tertiary education.
Upper secondary education is vital in preparing young people to succeed in the adult world. During this final phase of formal schooling, Ukraine’s young people must develop the core skills they will need, identify what they are good at and how this relates to the demands of the world around them. Ensuring that young people develop a baseline proficiency in core skills and knowledge like literacy and numeracy, and a complementary mix of skills will help to ensure that they are prepared to support Ukraine’s reconstruction and its future role in the global economy. The section below presents insights from Ukraine’s participation in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2018 and 2022. Box 1.1 discusses Ukraine’s participation in PISA in the context of Russia’s war of aggression.
Ukraine participated in PISA for the first time in 2018. For PISA 2022, there were significant changes in the survey implementation, most notably reduced participation following Russia’s war of aggression against the country. The 2022 survey was meant to include Ukraine’s entire educational system. However, because of the war, only 18 out of the 27 jurisdictions were able to participate.
PISA technical standards permit countries/economies to exclude up to 5% of the target population – 15-year-old students enrolled in Grade 7 or higher – either by excluding schools or students within schools. In 2022, 16 countries and economies did not meet this standard.
In Ukraine, the exclusion rate was very high, at 36.1%, when computed with respect to the original sampling frame, covering the entire country.1 However, the high exclusion rate was primarily due to the inability to complete survey operations successfully in regions severely affected by the war. Results from the 18 regions that participated in PISA 2022 can be deemed reliable for reporting. However, comparisons with previous data should be made with caution and with due consideration of the differences in target populations. The exclusion rate in Ukrainian regions was 14.9%.
The 18 regions that participated include Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Sumy, the city of Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Odesa, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytskyi, Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil, Volyn and Zakarpattia oblasts.
The nine jurisdictions that could not participate were Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv oblasts, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and the city of Sevastopol.
Note: 1Detailed data on PISA target population and samples is available at: OECD (2023[21]), PISA 2022 Results (Volume I): The State of Learning and Equity in Education, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/53f23881-en.
Source: OECD (2023[21]) PISA 2022 Database, https://www.oecd.org/en/data/datasets/pisa-2022-database.html (accessed on 15 June 2024).
In 2022, Ukrainian 15-year-old students show resilience in mathematics performance amidst unprecedented disruption
Between 2018 and 2022, average mathematics performance in the Ukrainian regions that participated in both PISA 2018 and 2022 declined slightly, with the overall score decreasing from 452 to 441—a drop of around 11 score points. This decline is less pronounced than the OECD average, which fell by 17 points over the same period (from 489 to 472). In reading, the average score for the Ukrainian regions dropped from 464.4 in 2018 to 428.0 in 2022, a decline of 36.4 points—significantly larger than the OECD average decrease of 11 points over the same period. The performance of Ukraine’s regions in 2022 – particularly the small decline in mathematics – is notable given the extreme disruption to learning and the social and emotional consequences for teachers, students and families as a consequence of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
In 2022, regional disparities in mathematics performance were notable. Some regions experienced improvements, such as Sumy (an increase of 33 score points) and Khmelnytskyi (an increase of 17 score points), while others saw sharp declines, most notably Kirovohrad (a decrease of 55 score points) and Chernihiv (a decrease of 26 score points) (Figure 1.4). As well as reflecting underlying inequities in educational outcomes across the Ukrainian regions, regional variations might reflect the variable consequences of disruptions to teaching and learning due to the war in different regions and internal migration.
Ukrainian Regions (18 of 27) and OECD average
Note: The 2018 average mathematics score for the Ukrainian regions presented in this report has been recalculated to include only the 18 regions that participated in PISA 2022. This adjustment was made to ensure comparability, as some regions that participated in 2018 did not participate in the 2022 assessment due to the ongoing Russian occupation of parts of Ukraine.
Source: OECD (2019[22]) PISA 2018 Online Education Database, http://www.oecd.org/pisa/data/ (accessed on 15 June 2024); OECD (2023[23]), PISA 2022 Database, https://www.oecd.org/en/data/datasets/pisa-2022-database.html (accessed on 15 June 2024).
Performance at 15-years-old underscores the value of extending and strengthening upper secondary education
In PISA 2022, 58% of 15-year-old students in the Ukrainian regions achieved at least Level 2 in mathematics, below the OECD average of 69%. Level 2 proficiency represents the baseline mathematical skills necessary for effective participation in society (OECD, 2023[21]). Students achieving Level 3 or higher - referred to as skilled performers - demonstrate advanced competencies such as complex problem-solving and critical thinking (OECD, 2024[24]). In Ukrainian regions, 32% of students were skilled performers, compared to 46% across the OECD (Figure 1.5).
In reading, the gap between Ukraine’s students and the OECD average was greater than in mathematics. The gap between the share of proficient 15-year-olds in reading (Level 2 or above) was 14.7 percentage points in reading (compared with 11.3 percentage points in mathematics). This contrasts with the previous PISA cycle in 2018 where these gaps between the same 18 Ukrainian Regions and the OECD average was 7.9 percentage points in reading and 12.8 percentage points in mathematics. The fluctuations in reading performance between 2018 and 2022 suggests that there may be specific challenges in reading that Ukraine might want to investigate further. However, these results should be interpreted with caution, given the war and its likely impact on teaching and learning continuity.
While these results highlight areas for improvement, it is important to remember that PISA represents a snapshot of students' performance at age 15. Harmonized comparisons between PISA mathematics and the OECD’s Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) numeracy show that skill growth between age 15 and adulthood varies significantly across countries (OECD, 2013[25]), likely reflecting differences in how upper secondary education supports continued learning. In Ukraine, students have another two to three years of upper secondary education after PISA, providing critical opportunities to strengthen core skills and address any fragilities in mathematics and reading. This underscores the importance of Ukraine’s ongoing reforms to upper secondary education including its recent extension by an additional year. These reforms offer an important opportunity to ensure that the final years of school provide sufficient flexibility and personalisation for students to strengthen foundational skills while pursuing topics aligned with their strengths, interests, and national priorities.
Ukrainian Regions (18 of 27) and OECD average
Source: OECD (2023[23]), PISA 2022 Database, https://www.oecd.org/en/data/datasets/pisa-2022-database.html (accessed on 15 June 2024).
Learning outcomes in 2022 were more equitable than in 2018
Despite the widespread disruption caused by the war and extensive outward and internal migration, learning outcomes in mathematics and reading in Ukraine’s regions have become more equitable across socio-economic and geographic dimensions. In mathematics, the performance gap between disadvantaged and advantaged 15-year-old students narrowed by 13 score points between 2018 and 2022 (Figure 1.6). Notably, disadvantaged students demonstrated remarkable resilience, with their scores remaining relatively stable during this period (398 in 2022 compared to 403 in 2018). Similarly, the rural-city gap in mathematics shrank, with the difference between rural and city students' scores decreasing by 16 score points between 2018 and 2022. In reading, a similar pattern emerged. The performance gap between disadvantaged and advantaged 15-year-old students decreased by 11 score points between 2018 and 2022.
These results require careful interpretation, as shifts in population and disruptions to schooling may have contributed to the changes. Nevertheless, the data suggest a trend toward greater equity, which warrants further investigation to understand the factors driving these shifts. Given Ukraine’s unique context as a country with a comparatively high proportion of rural students (21%, significantly higher than the OECD average of 8%), reducing disparities between rural and urban students is essential for advancing equity and overall educational outcomes nationwide.
Ukrainian Regions (18 of 27)
Note: The gaps are calculated as the difference in score points of mean scores between the top and bottom quarters of the index of economic, social and cultural status (ESCS), the difference in score points of mean scores between students in cities and rural areas.
Source: OECD (2019[22]) PISA 2018 Online Education Database, http://www.oecd.org/pisa/data/ (accessed on 15 June 2024); OECD (2023[23]), PISA 2022 Database, https://www.oecd.org/en/data/datasets/pisa-2022-database.html (accessed on 15 June 2024).
The skills that young Ukrainians need to create value in their societies are rapidly changing and will continue to evolve during their careers
Opportunities and pressures from environmental and technological transformations are changing the nature of work (OECD, 2023[26]). The very recent and rapid advances in generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) (e.g. ChatGPT) has led many to observe that we are at the advent of an AI revolution that will substantively change how we access, consume and produce information. Automation technologies, including AI, mean that around 27% of jobs are at high risk of automation (Lassébie and Quintini, 2022[27]). Individuals whose skills are narrowly constrained to specific sectors are vulnerable to fundamental changes, and even the disappearance, of their jobs.
Young people in Ukraine value education highly, investing their most precious resource - their time - in acquiring upper secondary and then tertiary education. Yet despite young Ukrainians’ high investments in education, the value it contributes to their working lives as individuals and their societies remains relatively low. The data from PISA 2022 underscore considerable resilience in a context of extreme disruption and emotional stress. Yet, the PISA data also highlights the value of strengthening schooling, both in the years preceding and following PISA. In particular, reinforcing education in the final years of schooling so that fragilities in skills are addressed and skills are deepened is important for Ukraine’s future. The comparative absence of flexibility in Ukraine’s current upper secondary model – where students all pursue very similar content without opportunities to deepen knowledge and skills in areas of interest and national need - is unlikely to meet the demands on individuals by global megatrends, as well as the country’s reconstruction efforts.
Policy considerations for reforming Academic Lyceums in Ukraine: insights from international data
This section identifies key reflections for Ukraine as it reforms upper secondary education based on analysis of international data.
Promoting education that is engaging and motivating
Young Ukrainians report having very positive social relationships and psychological well-being. The psychological well-being, resilience, social relationships (i.e. the quantity and quality of students’ social networks) and study-life balance (i.e. balancing academic work with cultural, social and sporting opportunities) of 15-year-olds students in Ukraine are all at, or higher, than the average across the OECD. However, when it comes to young people’s engagement with school and their agency, Ukrainian students report much lower values (Figure 1.7). The OECD’s index of engagement with school looks at how far students value their time at school, are motivated to achieve good results and contribute to a productive learning environment.
Note: Data is drawn from the PISA 2018 and 2022. Data on Academic performance and the indexes on Engagement with school, Social Relationships, Material and Cultural well-being are from 2022; Indexes on Psychological well-being, Agency and engagement, Resilience, School-leisure balance include 2022 and 2018 data; Index of Openness to diversity is from 2018.
Source: OECD (2019[22]) PISA 2018 Online Education Database, http://www.oecd.org/pisa/data/ (accessed on 15 June 2024); OECD (2023[23]), PISA 2022 Database, https://www.oecd.org/en/data/datasets/pisa-2022-database.html (accessed on 15 June 2024).
Young people’s engagement and interest in what they learn is not just important for their personal experience, it plays an important role in learning (Harackiewicz J. M., 2016[28]). One of the essential ingredients for achievement is motivation and the capacity to set goals and remain focused on their accomplishment (OECD, 2013[29]; Duckworth, 2011[30]; Eccles and Wigfield, 2002[31]) (Duckworth, 2011[30]) (Eccles and Wigfield, 2002[31]). In Ukraine, young people’s engagement and interest is especially important in the context of the extension of school education to 18, so that young people and their families feel that their extra year in the classroom provides them with interesting and valuable learning experiences. However at 15, the age when many young Ukrainians are moving into Academic Lyceums, almost a third (32.5%) are not motivated do to well in their mathematics class (with similar results in science and Ukrainian classes), compared to 10.7% of students across the OECD on average (Figure 1.8). At the same age, some young Ukrainians are bored at school. Among students who have been absent from school for more than three months, a quarter of young (25.2%) Ukrainians report that being bored at school was their main reason for missing it (OECD average: 18.5%) (OECD, 2023[23]).
Percentage of students who agree with the statement “I want to do well in my mathematics class”
Source: OECD (2023[23]), PISA 2022 Database, https://www.oecd.org/en/data/datasets/pisa-2022-database.html (accessed on 15 June 2024)
Choice to focus on the skills that matter for the future
One of the central reasons for providing choice in upper secondary education – i.e. enabling students to choose different subjects and options – is the diverse mix of skills and profiles it enables young people to start developing and ultimately, contribute to the economy. In the absence of choice, there is a risk that certain skills might remain underdeveloped, with students being unable to acquire sufficiently deep skills in key areas to promote innovation and advances in specific sectors of the economy.
STEM skills in particular are recognised as being critical to drive innovation and providing technical knowledge to underpin the green transition (Nusche, Fuster Rabella and Lauterbach, 2024[32]) (OECD, 2012[33]). While young people and their families in Ukraine invest significantly in education, comparatively few aspire to STEM-related careers. Just 8.7% of 15-year-old students – the age of entry to Academic Lyceums in Ukraine – who are top performers in mathematics and/or science expect to work as a science or engineering professional when they are 30 (Figure 1.9). This is less than half the proportion of high performers aspiring to a scientific or engineering career across the OECD on average (21.2%) (OECD, 2019[22]).
Percentage of top performers in science or mathematics who expect to work as science and engineering professionals when they are 30
Note: Top performers in science or mathematics are students who achieved at least Level 2 in all three core domains and at least Level 5 in mathematics and/or science). OECD average-36 does not include Costa Rica and Spain.
Source: OECD (2019[22]), PISA 2018 Online Education Database, http://www.oecd.org/pisa/data/ (accessed on 15 June 2024).
The comparatively limited career aspirations in STEM-related fields among young Ukrainians is reflected later, as young people move into employment. In 2021, Ukraine had just 0.6 researchers per thousand inhabitants, compared to 4.5 across the EU on average. Similarly, density of R&D – which drives innovation – is comparatively low. In 2021, the share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) devoted to R&D in Ukraine was 0.3%, compared to 2.3% across the EU (Eurostat, 2021[34]).
Support young people to develop ambitious, realistic aspirations
Careers advice plays a central role in helping young people acquire an informed perspective on future opportunities and reflect on how these align with their strengths and interests. Analysis finds that when young people are supported by their schools to engage in career exploration, their outcomes on the labour market are frequently better, than in the absence of such support (OECD, 2021[9]).
Young Ukrainians report frequently engaging in career activities which are found to be important for later employment outcomes. Students in Ukraine report researching information about student financing, visiting post-secondary institutions, speaking to career advisers outside their school, attending job fairs, shadowing and taking part in internships more than their peers across the OECD on average (Figure 1.10).One of the few areas where students in Ukraine report engaging in career activities less than the OECD average is in the specifically school-based activity – speaking to a career adviser at their school. This might reflect the relatively limited number of schools where career guidance is a mandatory part of student timetables in Ukraine. In 2022, less than a third (28.3%) of students in Ukraine attended schools where career guidance was a mandatory part of their timetable, compared to just over two thirds (67.7%) across the OECD on average (OECD, 2023[23]).
Share of students reporting participating in the following activities
Source: OECD (2023[23]), PISA 2022 Database, https://www.oecd.org/en/data/datasets/pisa-2022-database.html (accessed on 15 June 2024)
Young people in Ukraine set high aspirations for themselves. In 2022, 61.4% of 15-year-olds in Ukraine report expecting to work as senior managers (category 1 in International Standardised Classification of Occupations (ISCO)) or as professionals, such as doctors, engineers, lawyers and teachers (category 2 in ISCO). This is very similar to the OECD average with 62.1% of students expecting to work in these occupations. Young Ukrainians also have a good understanding of the qualifications they need to achieve their aspirations – with 63.7% expecting to complete tertiary education (OECD average 61.3%) (OECD, 2023[23]). Consequently, career misalignment i.e. students who aspire to a professional or managerial career but do not plan to complete tertiary education, is moderate in Ukraine. In 2022, slightly fewer 15‑year-olds in Ukraine (19.9%) had misaligned expectations compared with the OECD average (20.9) (OECD, 2023[23]) (OECD, 2024[35]). However, there is a gap between the careers that young Ukrainians aspire to and actual demand in the national labour market. While 61.4% of young Ukrainians aspire to work as senior managers or professionals, these professions make up just 26.1% of the national labour market (Figure 1.11).
Percentage of young people who expect to have a professional or managerial job at 30 compared to actual labour force distribution in their country
Note: Countries/economies are in ascending order of actual labour force (ISCO 1 & 2) 1. ISCO refers to International Standardised Classification of Occupations: ISCO major category 1 (senior managers), ISCO major category 2 (professionals, such as doctors, engineers, lawyers and teachers). Data on labour force distribution comes from two sources: Eurostat (for most European countries) and International Labour Organization (ILO) (for all other countries). All data from Eurostat is from its most recent time series (Q3 2023). While data from ILO is varies based on the most recent time series of that particular country (for Ukraine the most recent data is from 2021). Age class is 15 to 64 years for both ILO and Eurostat. Four OECD countries are excluded as they are neither in the Eurostat or ILO dataset - Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
Sources: OECD (2024[35]), “Career guidance, social inequality and social mobility: Insights from international data”, https://doi.org/10.1787/e98d0ae7-en; OECD (2023[23]), PISA 2022 Database, https://www.oecd.org/en/data/datasets/pisa-2022-database.html (accessed on 15 June 2024) Eurostat (2024[36]), Employees by sex, age and occupation (1 000), https://doi.org/10.2908/LFSQ_EEGAIS. ; ILO (2024[37]), Employment by sex, age and occupation (thousands) Annual, https://rshiny.ilo.org/dataexplorer37/?lang=en&segment=indicator&id=EMP_TEMP_SEX_AGE_OCU_NB_A (accessed on 15 June 2024).
Young people in Ukraine also have relatively narrow career expectations. In 2018, almost half of the country’s young people expected to work in the ten most common jobs in Ukraine, compared to 36% across the OECD on average (OECD, 2019[22]). Ensuring that students are supported to understand the range of future work pathways open to them in work, which can be rewarding for individuals and important for society, could help ensure a better match between national needs and student aspirations.
Help young people develop productive attitudes and agency for positive change
In preparing young people for life after school, upper secondary systems have an essential role in educating them about the threats and opportunities of tomorrow’s world and developing their agency to influence them. Student agency refers to students’ ability and willingness to positively influence their own lives and the world around them. Young Ukrainians reported lower agency than 15-year-olds across the OECD on average (Figure 1.7).
One measure of student agency is the extent to which students take socially responsible actions. In Ukraine in 2018, a high share of school principals (94%) reported that climate change and global warming were covered in the school curriculum (OECD average 88%) (OECD, 2022[38]). Yet, the share of students for whom that education translated into practical, socially productive actions is relatively low. In 2018, just over half (54%) of 15-year-old students in Ukraine reported undertaking practical actions to reduce energy use at home, compared to 67% across the OECD on average (Figure 1.12). Being a responsible global citizen that effects change requires being a leader sometimes. In Ukraine, the share of young people (35.1%) who agree that they are comfortable taking the lead role in group is almost 10 percentage points lower than on average across the OECD (44.7%) (OECD, 2023[23]).
Percentage of students who reduce the energy they use at home to protect the environment
Source: OECD (2019[22]), PISA 2018 Online Education Database, http://www.oecd.org/pisa/data/ (accessed on 15 June 2024).
Based on the analysis presented in this chapter, important reflections for Ukraine include:
Promoting education that is engaging and motivating
Providing students with greater choice and the opportunity to shape their own pathways through upper secondary education might encourage greater student engagement with school, by enabling students to focus on the learning that they value for their future. Reforms to the design of the Academic Lyceums will also need to be accompanied by reflections on pedagogy. Across subjects, providing students with opportunities to try, test and develop knowledge in unfamiliar and real-life contexts can be stimulating and engaging for students as well as supporting competency development.
Providing choice to focus on the skills that matter for the future
A thriving national economy is based on diverse skills where individuals develop their strengths and talents in areas of social and economic importance. Providing students in upper secondary with choices enables them to focus on the skills and knowledge that interest them, and which are likely to add the greatest value to their country’s future development. Reformed Academic Lyceums might provide students with greater choice, supported by information and advice, to enable them to develop aspirations in key fields, like STEM.
Supporting young people to develop ambitious, realistic aspirations that reflect national needs and demand
Reforms that introduce greater student choice must go hand in hand with career education. Effective career education can help ensure that students understand how their choices connect with labour market opportunities, which skills and sectors will be critical, so that they, and their country, can make the most of digital and green transitions and be responsive to changing demands in the global economy. Ukraine might consider ensuring that all students access quality career education at school by scheduling career guidance in students’ timetables so that it receives sufficient time.
Helping young people to develop productive attitudes and actions
Young people need access not just to knowledge about the changing global context but also about how their practical actions can shape it. Upper secondary can offer young people a wide range of learning opportunities – such as working autonomously or in groups, and presenting one’s argument to others – to develop the broad range of skills that are important for improving their societies and the global economy.
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