Skipping classes will become more difficult: students are promised important innovations

Ukraine is discussing school truancy and the role of parents. Education Ombudsman Nadiya Leschyk noted that the current regulations on school attendance are not strict enough and need to be revised. In particular, students may not be absent from school for 10 days without medical confirmation, even with a note from their parents.

Leschyk pointed out that many European countries, where Ukrainian families emigrated due to the war, have a stricter approach. The absence of a student without a good reason can be grounds for social services to intervene and investigate the situation. In Ukraine, current rules allow students to skip classes without serious consequences, which, according to the Ombudsman, is often abused. She proposed reducing the period of continuous absence to 5 days, but this project did not find support.

Leszczyk focused on the negative consequences for the education system: regular absenteeism leads to children actually dropping out of the educational process. The analysis showed that some students are not studying at all. The responsibility of parents remained minimal: the fine for absenteeism is about 750 hryvnias, which is not a sufficient incentive.

The topic of family education appropriate for children abroad was discussed separately. However, if a child lives, for example, in Kyiv or Lviv, questions arise about the quality of education and parents’ ability to provide it at an appropriate level. The Ombudsman also recalled that family education includes knowledge control through testing. Schools have the right to initiate the child’s return to traditional education if he does not meet the educational requirements. Still, it fails to contact the school practice; this mechanism is rarely used.