A number of innovations affecting various levels of education in Ukraine came into force on September 1, 2026.
Specifically, starting with the new academic year, learning English for older preschool children becomes a mandatory component of the educational process in all preschool education institutions.
Also starting September 1, free hot meals will be provided to all students in grades 1-11 (12) attending classes in person or in a blended format – covering approximately 3 million children, with UAH 14.4 billion allocated for the program.
Additionally, as of September 1, teachers of all specialties, educators, assistant educators, teacher-organizers, practical psychologists, extracurricular education teachers, and other pedagogical staff of preschool, general secondary, extracurricular, and vocational education institutions will receive another 20% salary increase.
Among other changes, a new remuneration mechanism is being launched – transitioning away from the Unified Tariff Grid. Instead of tariff categories, base salaries will be calculated using coefficients applied to a base figure – UAH 28,885, the average wage across the economy for the first quarter of 2026.
Furthermore, the minimum prestige allowance will be 20%, with the upper cap remaining at 30%. A separate supplement of UAH 2,600, funded via a state budget subvention, has been retained for school teachers working in-person in frontline territories.
Thus, the lowest base salary for a pedagogical worker will equal 1.6 times the minimum wage, while the full monthly salary for a full-time teacher, including allowances and supplements, will range from UAH 16.6 to 37 thousand gross, or from UAH 12.8 to 28.5 thousand net.
In addition, starting September 1, 2026, academic stipends for students will be doubled. Specifically, academic stipends in public and private educational institutions will change as follows: vocational education – from UAH 1,250 to 2,500; professional pre-higher education – from UAH 1,510 to 3,020, and for specialties with increased rates – from UAH 1,930 to 3,860; higher education – from UAH 2,000 to 4,000, and for specialties with increased rates – from UAH 2,550 to 5,100.
Named and academic stipends established by the Cabinet of Ministers will also double: to UAH 5,000 in vocational education, UAH 6,040 in professional pre-higher education, and UAH 8,000 in higher education.
Moreover, presidential stipends for winners of all-Ukrainian student olympiads and the research competition-defense of the Junior Academy of Sciences (JAS) will increase from UAH 2,600 to 5,200; Cabinet of Ministers stipends for winners of the Ukrainian Language and Literature Olympiad – from UAH 2,360 to 4,720; Taras Shevchenko stipends for school students – from UAH 2,720 to 5,440; presidential stipends for winners of the Petro Yatsyk and Taras Shevchenko competitions – from UAH 1,420 to 2,840 for school students, from UAH 2,870 to 5,740 in professional pre-higher education, and from UAH 3,800 to 7,600 in higher education.
Additionally, stipend amounts were set for presidential stipends awarded to the most gifted young artists: UAH 2,500 per month for students of state arts lyceums, UAH 7,600 for students in professional pre-higher education, and UAH 10,000 for bachelor’s and master’s degree students.
Also starting September 1, the second phase of piloting the high school reform under "New Ukrainian School" launches in lyceums, during which 150 pilot educational institutions will test the updated content and structure of studies in grades 10-12. The new model of specialized high school education is set for full implementation starting September 1, 2027.
As reported, under martial law, the new 2026-2027 academic year in secondary education institutions traditionally begins on September 1 and will run until June 30, 2027. However, the actual completion date for classes, the timing of the last bell ceremony, and the duration of summer break will be decided by individual educational institutions. They will be determined by pedagogical councils taking into account the security situation and the needs of all participants in the educational process.
