Ukraine has updated the requirements for the organisation of preschool education. The Law ‘On Preschool Education’ establishes clear rules for the maximum number of children in groups and the permissible workload for kindergarten teachers. From now on, the number of children per teacher should not exceed five if it is children of the same age. In mixed-age groups, other limits apply: up to 15 children if all of them are over three years old, or up to 10 if at least one child is between the ages of one and three.
The law also stipulates specific numbers: up to five children under the age of one, up to 15 children aged two to three, and no more than 20 children aged three and older. A maximum of three children with special educational needs are allowed in inclusive groups. To open a separate group of infants in a state or municipal kindergarten, there must be at least three children of the appropriate age.
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Despite clear legal requirements, the reality in many preschools is far from ideal. Kindergartens are often overloaded: teachers are forced to work with twice or even three times the number of children than the law requires. This problem is especially acute in rural communities, where there is a shortage of staff and the conditions are outdated.
Educators are calling not only for the introduction of new standards, but also for the creation of appropriate conditions for their compliance, including infrastructure upgrades, salary increases, and the provision of the necessary number of staff.
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