Ilze Jankovska
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4023-0084
Hanna Tereshchenko
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9458-2843
REFORMING EDUCATION IN UKRAINE AND LATVIA: LESSONS FROM TWO TRAJECTORIES OF EUROPEANIZATION
Full text (pdf)
Language: English
Abstract. This article provides a comparative analysis of education reform trajectories in Ukraine and Latvia within the broader framework of European integration. The study highlights how both countries have pursued alignment with evolving European standards in learning, education governance, digital transformation, and quality assurance, while operating under markedly different political and socio-economic conditions. Latvia, an EU member state since 2004, has implemented long-term, system-wide reforms supported by stable institutional governance and EU structural funds. Central initiatives include the Skola2030 competency-based curriculum, the introduction of comprehensive digital platforms such as Skolas.lv and E-klase, the expansion of inclusive education practices, and the modernization of vocational and higher education through European Social Fund and European Regional Development Fund projects. While Latvia represents a steady course of Europeanization, Ukraine’s trajectory has been shaped by far more complex and disruptive circumstances. Influenced by its post-2014 European integration commitments and, more recently, by the challenges of full-scale war, Ukraine has undertaken key reforms – most notably the New Ukrainian School, the modernization of vocational and higher education, and the “Education of the Victors” strategic plan. These initiatives prioritize inclusiveness, digital resilience, European convergence, and recovery-oriented transformation. Despite wartime disruptions, Ukraine continues to advance structural changes aimed at strengthening institutional autonomy, ensuring equitable access, and integrating into the European Education Area. The comparison reveals that Latvia represents a model of stable and incremental convergence with EU norms, while Ukraine exemplifies resilience-driven, adaptive reform under crisis conditions. The analysis underscores the need for sustained international support, cross-country learning, and deeper integration with European educational values to ensure long-term modernization and system resilience.
Keywords: education reform, Europeanization, resilience, digitalization, inclusiveness, governance, policy harmonization.
https://doi.org/10.32987/2617-8532-2025-4-40-52
Keywords: education reform, Europeanization, resilience, digitalization, inclusiveness, governance, policy harmonization.
https://doi.org/10.32987/2617-8532-2025-4-40-52
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