Preparations for the new academic year are under way in the Lviv community. As of now, 6,455 children have already been enrolled in Year 1. At the same time, the city is continuing the reform of upper specialised secondary education, the modernisation of educational infrastructure and the development of new projects in the field of education. This was reported during a live broadcast dedicated to the results of the academic year by the director of the Education and Culture Department of the Lviv City Council, Andriy Zakalyuk.
“In the new academic year we will primarily focus on implementing the reform of upper specialised secondary education, on the development and modernisation of nursery schools, and on new projects in early years education as part of the Year of Early Years. We will also continue the completion of the school in Bryukhovychi and the Provessin Gymnasium,” said Andriy Zakalyuk
According to the official, the city plans further renewal of sports and catering infrastructure in schools. In particular, over the course of the new academic year a further four sports halls are to be refurbished: at School №91, Lyceum №15, the Vasyl Symonenko Lyceum and School №84. Upgrades are also planned for two sports grounds next to Schools №98 and №86, and three kitchens — at Lyceum №18 and Schools №60 and №97.
The city is also working on restoring the operation of three early years settings which have not been functioning for many years. These are Nurseries №96 on Kleparivska Street, №97 on Dnisterska Street and №111 on Vyhovskoho Street. Major capital renovation works are planned in these buildings.
In addition to infrastructure changes, new educational programmes are being launched in Lviv. The project “We are different — we are equal”, aimed at fostering a culture of accessibility and inclusion among the youngest pupils through play, dialogue and joint work with psychologists and social pedagogues, will be rolled out to all schools in the city from September. Until now it has operated only in seven pilot settings.
There are plans to integrate media literacy more deeply into school subjects in order to develop pupils’ critical thinking. Another distinct strand will be lessons in entrepreneurship and innovation — these will be introduced in 45 educational institutions.
The “Responsible Cyclist” programme will continue for children in the older groups of nursery schools and for primary school pupils. Children will study the rules of the road and the basics of safety, and after passing a test, in cooperation with the police, they will receive a symbolic “cyclist’s licence”.
Environmental education will also be strengthened in schools: topics on environmental protection and the careful use of resources will be integrated into courses of study.
In addition, from 18 to 21 August, Lviv will host the training “Educational space of special opportunities” for psychologists, speech and language therapists, social pedagogues and other professionals in the field of education. The aim of the event is to strengthen support for children with special educational needs and to expand the professional competences of specialists.