Theirworld kickstarts Ukraine’s preschool reforms
Global children’s charity Theirworld today announced a package of support - providing funding, training and expertise - to help kickstart Ukraine’s preschool reforms.
The support was announced by Theirworld Chair, Sarah Brown, at The Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv, hosted by Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, preschool enrolment has dropped by 25% and 320,000 children, more than 20% of preschool-aged children, are unable to attend in-person as many facilities lie damaged or destroyed. For preschoolers, where the foundation for learning and development is set, the impact of disruption from war is especially severe.
“At this critical moment, investing in Ukraine's youngest children is one of the most effective ways to support families and help lay the foundations for the country's future.” Sarah Brown, Chair of Theirworld
Theirworld’s support will help kickstart ‘First Steps Forward’, a national initiative led by the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science to transform the country’s preschool sector with the aim of ensuring by 2030 at least 45-50% of children under three, and 96% of children aged three to six, have access to quality early learning services. Theirworld’s support includes:
- Helping the first few pilot communities to create services tailored to the needs of local children and their families
- Facilitating teacher training for dozens of early childhood educators
- Providing grants to improve learning environments, including facility upgrades and new learning materials
Together, these actions will pilot and refine a model that can be scaled nationwide, while mobilising donor and private sector support to sustain reforms.
Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, said: “Investing in early childhood education is vital for the country’s future. Our partnership with Theirworld through the First Steps Forward initiative is a way to support communities that, even during the war, are striving to create safe and high-quality learning environments for preschoolers. We want to give these children the best possible start in life, and we are proud that, together with our partners, we can take this step.”
Global leadership in early years investment
At the Summit, Dr Yevhen Kudriavets, Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister for Education and Science, was also named a Champion for the first-ever international finance summit for the early years, joining a growing group of international leaders backing the call from Theirworld’s Act For Early Years campaign.
By stepping forward as an official Champion, Ukraine is not only prioritising its own children but also calling on the world to act for early years.
Ukraine is setting an example for the world. If it can act for early years and make preschool a national priority in the midst of conflict, then every country has the power to do the same. Justin van Fleet, President of Theirworld
“Human capital is a nation’s greatest asset — and early childhood education is key to unlocking it. Even amid the war, Ukraine has taken a major step forward: adopting a new law on early childhood education and establishing a regulatory framework to comprehensively transform the system.
“We thank all our partners who support this mission and contribute to the First Steps Forward initiative,” said Yevhen Kudriavets, First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.
ENDS
About Theirworld
Theirworld is a global children’s charity committed to ending the global education crisis and unleashing the potential of the next generation. Its mission is to ensure that every child has the best start in life, a safe place to learn and the skills they need for the future. www.Theirworld.org
About the Act For Early Years campaign
Act For Early Years is a global campaign dedicated to ensuring that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and preschool education – vital for school readiness and lifelong well-being. We believe that investing in a child’s earliest years is one of the most powerful ways to break cycles of poverty and inequality and to build a more equitable world.