A new model of primary education has been presented in Ukraine
“We are changing the very philosophy of learning. We are not just teaching children to apply knowledge, but developing research-minded thinking. This is a child’s anchor in an unstable world,” said Oksana Onopriienko, head of the Primary Education Department at the Institute of Pedagogy of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine and scientific director of the “Kraina Znan” program. According to the program’s authors, the world is changing so fast that today’s first-graders will, in 15–20 years, work
“We are changing the very philosophy of learning. We are not just teaching children to apply knowledge, but developing research-minded thinking. This is a child’s anchor in an unstable world,” said Oksana Onopriienko, head of the Primary Education Department at the Institute of Pedagogy of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine and scientific director of the “Kraina Znan” program.
According to the program’s authors, the world is changing so fast that today’s first-graders will, in 15–20 years, work in professions that do not yet exist today.
“65% of today’s first-graders will work in professions that do not currently exist. That is why we must teach a child not just rules, but an understanding of how the world works,” Onopriienko stressed.
The program explains that the traditional school was built for decades on a model in which the child listens, memorizes and reproduces information. By contrast, “Kraina Znan” offers a different approach — learning through research, practice and emotional engagement.
In math lessons, children do not merely study geometric shapes, but investigate which materials make a structure the strongest. In Ukrainian language lessons, they learn to present their ideas and argue their own opinion. And in the “I Explore the World” classes, they conduct experiments, put forward hypotheses and look for explanations of phenomena.
The program’s authors place particular emphasis on the fact that today’s Ukrainian children are studying amid a full-scale war — to the sound of sirens, after sleepless nights caused by shelling, and in an atmosphere of constant anxiety.
“Psychologists are already talking about a dangerous symptom — children growing up too early. This affects the psyche and the ability to learn fully,” she noted.
That is why, according to the developers, a modern school must not only give knowledge but also restore to the child a sense of safety, interest and the joy of discovery.
In schools where the program has already begun to be implemented, people speak of noticeable changes in children’s behavior. The director of Lyceum No. 157 in Kyiv’s Obolon district Tetiana Yermak stated that students have become more motivated and interested in learning.
“Children’s interest in school has grown by almost 90%. They want to go to lessons, to explore, to ask questions. Children even get sick less, because they find it interesting to be at school,” she said.
According to her, the program also has a positive effect on children’s emotional state in wartime, helping to reduce stress levels through creativity, teamwork and a research approach.
Primary school teacher Alla Korol said that already in first grade the children freely use the concepts of “hypothesis” and “assumption,” learn to work in teams and formulate rules on their own.
“Our first-graders already know how to put forward hypotheses. They are not afraid of making mistakes and are learning to look for answers on their own,” the teacher noted.
During the presentation, videos from lessons were also shown in which first-graders demonstrated their own STEM projects and experiments. One such video is about an “energy source of the future” created by a first-grade pupil.
Parents also speak of positive changes. A representative of the parent community Daryna Nahorniuk noted that children not only absorb the material better, but also become more independent and confident.
“After a sleepless night caused by a Shahed attack, my child said in the morning: ‘Mom, I want to go to school, today we have a knowledge check.’ For me, that was a sign that the child is not afraid of learning but truly wants to learn,” she said.
The program’s developers stress that “Kraina Znan” was created as an accessible model that can be implemented both in large cities and in small communities, without expensive equipment or multimillion costs.
“Developing research-minded thinking does not require expensive laboratories. It is enough to teach a child to ask questions and look for answers,” the program’s authors noted.
Schools in Kyiv, Brovary and Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast are already taking part in the program. Next year the project is planned to be scaled up and extended to preschool and basic school.
“We are preparing not just pupils, but little inventors and citizens who will rebuild Ukraine in the future,” Onopriienko concluded.
The “Kraina Znan” educational program was created by researchers of the Institute of Pedagogy of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine together with practicing teachers as an unconventional model of primary education for Ukrainian schools. The program is built on the STEM approach and focused on developing critical thinking, research skills, emotional intelligence and the ability to work in a team. The model is currently being implemented in schools in Kyiv, Brovary and Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. According to the developers, the program is adapted for both urban and rural communities and does not require expensive technical equipment to implement.