Rapid Education Diagnosis workshop brings Ukrainian and international experts together in Vienna

 “Ukraine’s education reform is taking place under extraordinary circumstances, yet our commitment to align with European standards remains unwavering. The Rapid Education Diagnosis provides us with a robust evidence base to guide this transformation, strengthening governance, improving financing, and ensuring quality and equity for all learners.” 

- First Deputy Minister of Education and Science Yevhen Kudriavets

The European Training Foundation and the World Bank held a joint workshop in Vienna on 25 and 26 March to review the findings of the Rapid Education Diagnosis for Ukraine. The meeting gathered officials from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, representatives of the European Commission, Ukrainian education experts,  and specialists from EU Member State and  international organisations. Its purpose was to examine the diagnostic results and move toward a shared understanding of policy directions for the country’s education reforms. 

Assessing a system under pressure 

The workshop forms part of the EU funded Supporting Education Reforms and Skills programme. The Rapid Education Diagnosis — a structured analytical tool that maps the state of an education system across governance, financing, equity and quality — provided the framework for an in-depth assessment carried out between late 2025 and early 2026. During the two-day event, participants reviewed that evidence and compared it with lessons from European Member States that have pursued similar reform paths. The discussions highlighted the severe strain placed on Ukraine’s education and training system by the ongoing war. Many schools and training institutions have been damaged or forced to reorganise operations because of security risks, affecting access to learning, teacher availability and the organisation of education at all levels. The European Union and the World Bank — which together provide multi-billion-euro financial assistance and loans to strengthen and modernise Ukraine’s education system — remain the key international partners supporting the country’s educational provision through this challenging period.

Reform pathways and EU alignment 

Despite these conditions, Ukraine is steadily advancing reforms that support its EU integration goals. The Rapid Education Diagnosis aims to guide this transition with evidence-based policy recommendations that reinforce institutional resilience. Throughout the workshop, Ukrainian authorities underlined their commitment to aligning the country’s education system with European standards. The event allowed participants to examine potential reform pathways in detail, covering measures to improve planning and financial management, reinforce quality assurance, support equity objectives and ensure that reforms can be implemented consistently across regions. 

An important milestone 

Pilvi Torsti, Director at the European Training Foundation highlighted the relevance of this event:

 “The Vienna workshop marks an important milestone in supporting Ukraine’s education reform under the most challenging circumstances […] These findings will feed into the high-level dialogue between Executive Vice-President Minzatu and Minister Lisovyi in May, and the final report will provide a clear roadmap for Ukraine and its partners to sustain and accelerate education transformation in the years ahead.” 

Insights from the workshop will feed into the final Rapid Education Diagnosis report, which will guide the next steps for reform and provide a foundation for continued cooperation between Ukraine, the European Union and international partners. It will also support a clearer link between national priorities and the requirements of the EU accession process. The ETF will continue to work with Ukrainian counterparts to ensure that progress achieved through the Rapid Education Diagnosis contributes to durable improvements across the education and skills system. 

For more on the ETF’s work in Ukraine, visit the Ukraine page and the Supporting Education Reforms and Skills programme.