From Sept 1: English in kindergartens, hot meals for all grades, teacher salary hikes, doubled stipends
A number of innovations affecting various levels of education in Ukraine came into force on September 1, 2026.
On September 1, 2026, several educational reforms took effect in Ukraine. Mandatory English education for older preschool children began across all preschool institutions. Starting the same day, free hot meals became available to all students in grades 1-11 (12) who attend classes in person or through a blended format, serving approximately 3 million children with UAH 14.4 billion allocated for the program.
Teachers across various educational levels, including preschool, general secondary, vocational, and extracurricular settings, received a 20% salary increase. A new remuneration mechanism replaced the Unified Tariff Grid, calculating base salaries using coefficients based on the average wage of UAH 28,885 for the first quarter of 2026.
The minimum prestige allowance for teachers was raised to 20%, with a maximum of 30%. Additionally, a separate supplement of UAH 2,600 was maintained for teachers working in frontline territories. Starting September 1, academic stipends were doubled for students in various education levels, ranging from UAH 2,500 to 5,100. Presidential and Cabinet of Ministers stipends also increased, reaching up to UAH 8,000 in higher education.
Furthermore, the second phase of piloting the high school reform under the New Ukrainian School began, with 150 pilot educational institutions testing updated content and structure in grades 10-12. These reforms were set to commence on September 1, 2026, and continue until June 30, 2027.
Written by urgent.news from Interfax-Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
