New Ukrainian School

How is NUS different from the school that taught today's adults?
We have highlighted the most important thing for ourselves in educational changes.

Before the new school year 2020/2021, everyone involved in the educational process has obviously already managed to learn about the New Ukrainian School – a school education reform project that has been implemented gradually since 2017. Details can be found on the websites of the New Ukrainian School and the Ministry of Education, the progress of changes and various challenges of introduction (especially in the context of a sharp transition to online) are now widely discussed. We want to emphasize the main things that a modern school will definitely not do without – and the NSS International School actively supports them. Figuratively speaking, the three pillars of the new school life 🙂

Whale One: Partnership 
The Soviet school was built on the principles of hierarchy. The pupil was on the lowest rung of the ladder, and he had to obey all the demands of the teachers. Higher authorities weighed on them: "gorono", "rayono" – in front of whom it was necessary to pretend high rates (to wash the corridors, to memorize the answers). Parents in this pyramid existed somewhere on the sidelines: for children they often served as an additional source of coercion, for teachers – as an object of criticism and instructions.

This obviously ineffective scheme became commonplace, but even the best teachers of that time were willing and able to go for it. Perhaps everyone will remember a teacher who approached children as equal interlocutors. They were inspired by their love for the subject, interested in suggestions to prepare a report "not according to the textbook" or read a book "not from the program", listened to thoughts and feelings. For the new Ukrainian school, communication instead of management is not the exception, but the norm.
Instead of the template "I posted new material – I checked the completed task", interaction with the teacher creates a dialogue built on trust, benevolence, and respect for the student's personality. The pedagogy of partnership also assumes that students, parents and teachers are equal participants in the process, and each of the parties feels responsible for the mutual implementation of agreements.

Whale Two: Freedom
The need to be guided by a single state-approved program, mandatory textbooks and plans, from which not a single step can be deviated from, is also a thing of the past. A teacher is not an indisputable source of knowledge, but rather a facilitator on the path of searching for knowledge that can be personal for each student. A creative teacher has the opportunity to create their own curricula, choose different teaching methods. A significant part of them is built on cooperation and practice: games, research projects, and experiments. 

The pupil has his own space of freedom: the opportunity to study at a pace that takes into account his peculiarities, to choose certain subjects that are more interesting to him, to work in different groups (including those of different ages). The learning environment can change – the school space is organized in a way that is convenient, safe and enjoyable for children. The student-centered school is inclusive and non-discriminatory.Inspection of schools, designed to "comb everyone with the same brush", is inferior to audit, which aims to identify the needs and capabilities of the institution so that it can receive the necessary support if necessary. Schools, in turn, increase the level of transparency – both financial and informational.

Whale Three: Live Result
The ultimate goal in the old school was a good grade. To what extent is it fairly obtained (both on one side and on the other)? To what extent does it truly reflect an understanding of the basic laws of nature or fluency in English? Does it inspire the student to become better, and not, on the contrary, cool them down? These issues were considered inconsequential. 

The new Ukrainian school involves mastering not subjects, but competencies (fluency in the state language; ability to communicate in native and foreign languages; information and communication competence; civic and social competencies;

cultural competence; ability to learn throughout life, etc.). This means that an educated person studies phenomena from different angles and points of view, is able to combine knowledge and skills, and knows how to apply them in practice.

Competencies include specific skills (reading comprehension; expressing one's own opinion orally and in writing; thinking critically and systematically; logically justifying one's position; being creative and proactive, etc.). All this is better assimilated through activities – therefore, instead of lectures and surveys, a modern teacher offers children experiments, excursions, and creative projects. Formal homework is minimized: first-graders do not have them at all, in the future their volume is limited.

As for assessment, the approach to it is also radically changing. It is not intended to divide the team into "exemplary excellent students" and "those who lag behind", but to help better understand the individual process and progress of each student. The report card should not be embarrassing: the certificate of achievement is available only to the student himself and his parents for their own understanding and development.

NSS Private School has a sincere friendship with such intelligent and wise whales. We like to teach ourselves (and to learn, because one process always goes hand in hand with the other!), and we direct the process to make it fun for students. Young Ukrainians will learn only from history textbooks that education could once be stressful – and let it sound to them as distant and strange as cave paintings and crusades!