Russia’s armed aggression has created serious obstacles for Ukrainians living in temporarily occupied territories. Many students who were forced to leave these territories or continued their studies under occupation faced difficulties in confirming their academic achievements. A clear legal mechanism was needed to ensure equal access to Ukrainian education and support the integration of such persons.
Therefore, on 15 July 2025, the Government adopted Resolution No. 871, which approved the Procedure for the recognition of educational achievements obtained in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine at the levels of vocational (vocational-technical), pre-higher professional, and higher education.
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What role does the Ombudsman’s Office play in protecting the right to education for citizens from TOT?
The Ombudsman’s Office monitors compliance with the right to education of citizens from the temporarily occupied territories and initiates the development of legal mechanisms to ensure it. In my annual and special reports, I have repeatedly pointed out that there is no effective procedure for recognising the results of education in the temporarily occupied territories and that there is insufficient information about the existing procedures.
To ensure the realisation of the rights of citizens from the TOT, I have provided the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine with a number of recommendations, in particular:
- to approve the procedure and ensure the recognition of the educational achievements of persons who lived in the TOT at the level of vocational (vocational-technical), pre-higher and higher education;
- to facilitate the adaptation and integration of young people from the TOT into the Ukrainian education system;
- to ensure adequate access to education for children and young people from the temporarily occupied territories.
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Key provisions of Resolution No. 871: how the process of recognising education from TOT works
Resolution No. 871 establishes the procedure for recognising the educational achievements of citizens from temporarily occupied territories, in particular:
- the applicant submits an application, educational declaration and other necessary documents to the authorised institution;
- the commission conducts an initial interview with the applicant;
- the commission decides on the possibility of assessing the learning outcomes;
- the commission assesses the learning outcomes in the specified forms;
- the commission provides recommendations on the assessment and draws up the relevant protocol;
- the head of the authorised institution approves the order on the recognition of learning outcomes based on the commission’s recommendations.
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Results and next steps in the field of educational rights implementation
Therefore, the adoption of the Procedure was an important step in restoring the educational rights of citizens who received education in temporarily occupied territories. The normative act ensures equal and fair access to education regardless of the location of citizens and establishes a clear mechanism for confirming learning outcomes. It also promotes the integration of persons from TOT into the national educational space and provides an opportunity to continue education and realise professional competencies.
I would like to emphasise that the Ombudsman’s Office will continue to monitor the implementation of these rights and provide recommendations for improving legislation. This will ensure equal access to the recognition of qualifications and education for all citizens, regardless of their location.
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