Reform of the network of higher education institutions: the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada points to a lack of systematicity
The insufficient preparation and lack of systematicity of the process of reforming the network of higher education institutions (hereinafter - HEIs) was discussed on January 22 at a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Education, Science and Innovations, which considered the Report of the Accounting Chamber on the results of the efficiency audit on the topic "Problems of the network of higher education institutions: continue to maintain or reform".
As noted during the meeting of the Acting Secretary of the Accounting Chamber – Chief of Staff Vasyl Nevydomy, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (hereinafter - MES) was not sufficiently prepared for the reform process, although it actively promoted the idea of the urgency of such reform and its compliance with European practices in the public space.
In particular, according to Vasyl Nevydomy, the processes of reforming the network of higher education institutions are not standardized, and the roadmap for modernizing the network with the criteria for their selection for reorganization, as provided for in the Operational Plan of the Ministry for 2023, was not approved.
Among the reasons that hindered the effectiveness of the reorganization process: the absence of title documents for real estate in higher education institutions; the inability to conduct an inventory of property; problems with the formation of separate structural units and the transfer of students and employees; lack of support for the reform among students and employees of HEIs undergoing reorganization.
According to the audit results, the Accounting Chamber, in particular, recommended that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education and Science develop flexible and understandable steps for the effective reform of the HEI network, which would satisfy the interests of all participants in the process and would have a truly positive impact on the competitiveness of Ukrainian higher education, including on the international market.
Currently, the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Education and Science have begun to implement the recommendations of the Accounting Chamber. In particular:
– a draft order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has been prepared on amendments to the Strategy for the Development of Higher Education in Ukraine for 2022-2032, which is currently being agreed upon by the central executive authorities;
– the Ministry of Education and Science has approved an Action Plan to implement the recommendations of the Accounting Chamber, which, in particular, provides for: submitting to the Government for consideration proposals for amendments to the legislation to create the prerequisites for the modernization of the network of educational institutions, as well as holding meetings of the Ministry's leadership with employees and applicants of higher education institutions to discuss plans for the reorganization of HEIs.
«The implementation of our 5 recommendations has not yet begun, however, the Ministry of Education and Science has planned to take measures to implement them by the 4th quarter of 2025. We hope that our report and recommendations will contribute to the normalization and transparent advancement of the important reform of the HEI network,» - concluded Vasyl Nevydomy.
The Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, Oksen Lisovyi, who was present at the meeting, thanked the Accounting Chamber for this audit and noted that the recommendations provided contain a number of important positions that focus the Ministry's attention on certain problems.
The Chairman of the Committee, Sergiy Babak, summarized that the audit demonstrated the need for a more systematic approach to the aforementioned reform, and the discussion of the reform and the report of the Accounting Chamber contributes to increasing the efficiency of the reform. Based on the results of the discussion, the Committee decided to take note of the report.
Also during the meeting, the VRU Committee discussed the status and problems of using subventions from the state budget to local budgets in certain areas in 2024. One of these areas is the construction of shelters in secondary education institutions. In 2024, the Accounting Chamber analyzed the use of this subvention for 2023 and conducted an international parallel efficiency audit on the topic of «Civil protection in municipal institutions of general secondary education».
Present at the meeting, Deputy Chairman of the Accounting Chamber,Serhiy Klyuchka, during the discussion, clarified with the Ministry representatives the issue of implementing the recommendations provided based on the results of this audit. In particular, will there be a mechanism for allocating funds for shelter construction projects, the implementation of which was started within the calendar year, but not completed?
Deputy Minister of Education and Science Andriy Stashkiv reported that the Ministry is working to ensure that unfinished projects can participate in the competitive selection for funding on a par with new projects. If the projects that have been started do not pass the selection - they can be co-financed by the founders of educational institutions (local authorities).
For reference. The international parallel efficiency audit on the topic of "Civil protection in municipal institutions of general secondary education" was conducted within the framework of a parallel audit with the Accounting Chamber of the State of Hesse of the Federal Republic of Germany. In total, 3,103 schools in five regions were tested in Ukraine. The auditors also directly inspected the condition of shelters in 89 schools in 10 regions of Ukraine.
On January 21, in Germany, the Head of the Accounting Chamber, Olga Pishchanska, and the President of the Accounting Chamber of the State of Hesse, Dr. Walter Wallmann signed a Joint Statement on civil protection and emergency response in municipal institutions of general secondary education.