MON approved a new evaluation system: what changes await students of 1-9 classes from September

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine approved the system and the general criteria for evaluating students’ learning outcomes. The new rules define unified approaches to evaluating students in institutions of general secondary education.

Key points: Unified standards: the Ministry approved new rules and general criteria for evaluation that establish uniform approaches for all schools and forms of obtaining secondary education. The secrecy of grades: the grade is officially recognized as confidential information. Access will be granted only to the student, their parents (or guardians), and teachers. Distinction of concepts: in the new system the concepts of “assessment” (the process of observing and analyzing) and “grade” (the final result of this process) are separated. Methods of informing: parents will be informed about learning results during individual meetings, via electronic or paper diaries, and in the certificate of achievements. Stages of implementation: starting from the new academic year, the system will operate for students of 1-9 classes. What the new rules provide: the system and criteria establish general approaches to evaluating students’ learning outcomes. They apply to all forms of obtaining complete general secondary education. The document defines: principles of evaluation; types and forms of assessment; methods of assessment; grading scales; rules and procedures for determining learning outcomes. The system clearly separates the concepts of assessment and grade. Assessment is regarded as the process of observing and determining learning outcomes, while the grade is the result of this process. Also read: How much it costs to enroll a child in school in 2026 year: prices for everything necessary Who will have access to grades: The document states that the grade is confidential information. Access will be granted to the teachers who perform the corresponding assessment, the student themselves, and their parents or other legal representatives. Informing students and their legal representatives about learning results can occur during individual meetings, using paper or electronic carriers, information and communication technologies, as well as through recording results in the certificate of achievements. When will the new system take effect: the Ministry has planned a phased rollout of the new evaluation system. From the new school year, it will be applied to 1-9 classes. From 2027-2028 of the school year, the new rules will apply to 1-10 classes, and from 2028-2029 of the school year — to 1-12 classes. Thus, the system will gradually cover all classes that obtain complete general secondary education.

Previously, RBC-Ukraine explained how the academic year 2026-2027 would proceed. It will begin on 1 September and run until 30 June 2027 of the year, with specific dates for the end of the school year and summer holidays determined by the schools themselves, taking into account the security situation. As a reminder, the Russian strike destroyed more than 410 thousand school textbooks for 4-th and 9-th grades. Because of this, part of the edition will have to be printed again, and the delivery of books to schools will be delayed by at least several months.