On 1 January 2025, a new Law on Preschool Education came into force in Ukraine, updating approaches to the organisation of kindergartens, children’s rights and teachers’ working conditions. The law was adopted on 6 June 2024; its purpose is to provide a clearer legal and financial basis for the work of preschool education institutions and to gradually improve the quality of services for families and children.
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The new regulation enshrines the right of children to preschool education as part of the education system and defines a preschool education institution as a legal entity with its own founding documents and operating standards. The law also sets out the basic requirements for the educational process, safety standards and conditions for children in groups. These changes are intended to unify approaches to the work of both public and private institutions.
One of the notable innovations is the regulation of working hours for teaching staff. The law introduces the category of “working hours” for teachers with a clear mechanism for regulating workload, which affects the calculation of rates and the organisation of the personnel reserve in kindergartens.
Funding and powers remain a key issue in the implementation of the law. The document stipulates that local authorities are responsible for providing a network of institutions and conditions for their operation, but at the same time provides for state support mechanisms for modernisation and inclusive services. The Ministry of Education and Science has published explanations and recommendations on the organisation of the educational process in the 2024/2025 academic year to help local communities and institutions adapt to the new requirements.
The law pays special attention to inclusion: the document emphasises the right of children with special educational needs to preschool education and the need to create appropriate conditions in preschool educational institutions. Practical steps for organising inclusive preschool education and compliance with standards are currently being detailed through subordinate legislation and letters from the Ministry of Education and Science.
The most important thing for parents is to understand that the changes are gradual: many provisions have already come into force on 1 January 2025, but the adaptation of the network, the recalculation of rates, and the bringing of institutions into line with the new requirements will take place over the next few periods. This will depend on the resources of local communities.
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