There have been a lot of positive changes in the Ukrainian education system, lead by the national strategy called “New Ukrainian School”. Its aim is for students to develop their critical thinking, 21st-century skills and global competence.

I teach English as a foreign language and I’m the vice-principal of my school. I usually teach four-to-six lessons every day to students aged 10-17. In the lessons, we play Mystery Skype (you’re put on a video call with a class somewhere around the world and you have to guess where they are), exchange messages with pen pals in a PenPal Schools collaborative project, and discuss important issues with partner classes in video conferences.

My school is quite well equipped: we use interactive smartboards, tablets, VR headsets and various educational software. To ensure access to quality education for children from all areas, we offer seminars about educational practices to our colleagues from other schools.

Lessons finish at 3pm, but most students engage in after-school activities: they visit sports sections, art clubs, robotics and 3D modelling clubs. At home, I connect with my global colleagues via Skype, Zoom or email. Collaborating across borders can improve the lives of our students.

Hanna Dudich is an English language teacher at Taras Shevchenko Himnazia, Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine