Air raid sirens and technical glitches: scandals have erupted over the drafting of the National Military Training Programme in Ukraine
Зміст
- Scandal in Vinnytsia: graduate demands to retake exam due to technical glitch
- Scandal in Odessa: exam dragged on all day due to security alerts
- Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov calls for a change in approach to the National Multidisciplinary Test
- The Ombudsman described the National Multidisciplinary Test as a ‘nerve-wracking ordeal’: the Ministry of Education’s response
Scandal in Vinnytsia: graduate demands to retake exam due to technical glitch
Graduate Angelina Didenko is demanding a retake of her exam due to a computer freeze and a faulty mouse, which prevented her from completing the tests. However, the Centre for Educational Quality Assessment denies that there was a technical glitch, and the case has been referred to the Ukrainian Centre for Educational Quality Assessment.
This was reported by the graduate’s mother, Viktoria Didenko.
Angelina Didenko, a graduate from Vinnytsia, stated that due to technical problems during the National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT), she was unable to fully demonstrate her knowledge. She is demanding to be allowed to retake the exam, whilst the regional Centre for Educational Quality Assessment says that a final decision has not yet been made.
What happened during the NMT
According to Angelina Didenko, who sat the NMT on 1 June at Vinnytsia Lyceum No. 22, difficulties arose from the very first minutes of the test. She claims that the mouse on the computer was not working properly, but the equipment was not replaced for her. The invigilator merely suggested that she “scroll using the trackpad or keyboard”.
“When you try to scroll through the questions automatically with the mouse wheel, the page shoots down. You get nervous and waste loads of time just trying to go back. And nobody stopped the timer,” says Angelina.
Later, according to the graduate, the computer started to freeze, and whilst doing the maths tasks, there were problems with the information being displayed on the screen. Because of this, she lost time and was unable to finish the Ukrainian language section on time.
In addition, the girl says that whilst the tasks were being displayed, one of the integrals was shown incorrectly, which prevented her from solving the problem correctly.
She also said that after the first section of the exam she was under severe stress and cried during the break, but, according to her, she received no help from the staff at the exam centre.
The family is demanding an independent review
After the test, Angelina and her mother contacted the Vinnytsia Regional Centre for Educational Quality Assessment.
According to the family, a senior supervisor confirmed the student’s complaint regarding the mouse in a written note and recorded a malfunction of the NMT service. At the same time, the family claims that the circumstances of the incident were not properly investigated.
The family was particularly outraged by the alleged reaction of one of the officials at the assessment centre, who, during the conversation, advised them to “appeal the decision wherever they like”.
Angelina emphasises that she is not asking for special treatment, but simply wants the opportunity to retake the test on properly functioning equipment.
The assessment centre’s response
Gennadiy Kuzmenko, director of the Vinnytsia Regional Centre for Educational Quality Assessment, told “Suspilne” that an investigation was carried out following the complaint.
According to him, all equipment undergoes mandatory checks before testing, and the system records participants’ actions during the NMT. During the analysis of the testing process, no confirmed instances of computer malfunction were found. Staff at the test centre and participants who were nearby were also interviewed.
Kuzmenko noted that Angelina spent the most time on the maths section – 1 hour and 49 minutes. After that, she had about 10 minutes left for the Ukrainian language tasks.
The centre’s director also stated that the invigilator explained: at the start of the test, she had helped the student adjust the text display scale on the screen. Subsequently, the girl’s requests, according to her, mainly concerned obtaining additional sheets of paper for rough work.
The centre noted that the final decision regarding the possible annulment of the results and admission to a supplementary session is made by the Ukrainian Centre for Educational Quality Assessment in accordance with established procedures. The family’s appeal is currently under consideration.
In Odessa, the exam went on for the whole day due to air raid alerts
Meanwhile, in the Odessa region, graduates spent over 12 hours sitting the National Multidisciplinary Test due to constant air raid alerts.
Users are sharing this on Threads.
According to Ukrainians, the exam for graduates began at 10:00 am. However, due to continuous air raid alerts, the students were forced to constantly interrupt their work and run between computer rooms and shelters. In total, due to the air raid alerts, the students took the NMT for over 12 hours.
A user going by the nickname kriiisssssssss shared the situation.
“My student took the NMT for 12 hours! In Odesa, because of 10,000 air raid alerts, they were already being rushed through the history and English papers – this isn’t just stress, it’s hardcore!” the girl remarked.
The mother of one of the candidates, endodoc.neporada.veronika, also complained that because of the anxiety, the children were taking a long time to complete the exam.
“It’s 17:55. My child is still taking the NMT. Since 10:00. Almost non-stop anxiety. In total, there was no anxiety for about 1 hour and 20 minutes during this period. Only two children have applied for the supplementary session. The others are hoping for the best. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. Take care of our children,” the user noted.
User regulus_2019 wrote about the child’s critical exhaustion and the rush to take shelter.
“Sorry, but I’m in a right state. My nephew is sitting his NMT exams today from 10 am, and it’s now almost 8 pm; in that time, he’s only managed to sit two exams. Because there’s been constant air raid sirens. They don’t want to reschedule the exams for tomorrow; the children are running up and down, first to the shelter, then to the exam. Question: how is this child supposed to sit the exam properly and get a decent mark???”, the user noted.
User hrecha complained about the poor conditions in the city’s shelters, which mean her child will have to sit the exam again:
“So my nephew, who went to sit his NMT today and just sat in the shelter all day because Odessa didn’t give a f*ck about organising things in the shelter, will most likely have to sit the resits. It’s just f***ing ridiculous,” the girl remarked.
Reactions from other users
Other users reacted to this situation with equal outrage. Some Ukrainians also confirmed that their graduates or acquaintances had spent over 12 hours sitting the NMT.
Users also report that only a handful agree to attend the resit session — everyone else is patiently waiting for the air raid alert to end so they can sit the exam.
Ukrainians state that very few educational institutions in Odesa are conducting the NMT directly in shelters so as not to interrupt the exam during the air raid alert.
This practice of holding the NMT in shelters has been confirmed in Kharkiv. A user noted that this allows the exam to continue without interruption.
Taking the National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT) amidst constant shelling and the devaluation of school certificates is forcing Ukrainian children to go abroad to study, said Ihor Terekhov, head of the Association of Frontline Towns and Communities, during a working visit to Rivne.
He also spoke out against the current system of admission to higher education institutions.
Terekhov on changing the rules for university admission
"Firstly, I am categorically against universities admitting children solely on the basis of the NMT. A child has been going to school for 11 years, wants to do well, works hard and gets good marks. And all of that can be undone by a single test. Why should the child study then? Other countries say: ‘We’re not interested in your NMT, we’re only interested in your school certificate.’ And what do we do in that case? The children leave. Who will be left here? What kind of future will we have?” emphasised Terekhov.
He also drew attention to the format of the exam itself. Taking four subjects in a row is an excessive burden for any school leaver, and for teenagers from frontline regions who spend the night in shelters under shelling – it is unfair.
"How can a child sit the NMT exam? Four subjects in four hours. Neither you nor I could ever do that. How is it possible? Have them sit two subjects, then another two two days later. Then the child will be in a completely different state," emphasised the head of the APMG.
Terekhov noted that every higher education institution in Kharkiv had managed to survive, but they need students to function. Therefore, the local authorities are calling for a review of admission rules and the removal of artificial barriers for young people.
The Ombudsman described the NMT as a ‘test of one’s nerves’: the Ministry of Education’s response
Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, criticised the organisation and format of the National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT) in a social media post, calling it a “nerve-wracking ordeal”.
According to the Ombudsman, the current system places an excessive burden on teenagers, as graduates are forced to sit four subjects in a row on a single day. Lubinec believes that even an adult brain cannot always cope with such a switch between different modes of thinking, so “we are not measuring knowledge – we are measuring resilience to exhaustion”.
The Human Rights Commissioner also pointed to technical glitches.
“One of the participants, a medallist and prize-winner of the All-Ukrainian Biology Olympiad, took the NMT amidst technical glitches. She noted that the problems began from the very first minutes: a faulty mouse, the computer freezing, tasks not displaying correctly and wasted time. Despite her complaints, the problem was not resolved during the test. A simple question arises: how was the child supposed to take the exam at all under such conditions?” the Ombudsman asks rhetorically.
Furthermore, there are serious issues with prolonged air raid alerts, as, according to Lubinets, the proper conduct of tests directly within safe shelters has still not been adequately ensured.
The ombudsman also expressed outrage at a statement by Education Minister Oksen Lisovyi, who advised students lacking self-confidence to choose vocational technical education instead of universities. Lubinets called this an evasion of addressing systemic problems.
The Ministry of Education’s response to these statements
Tetyana Vakulenko, Director of the Ukrainian Centre for Educational Quality Assessment (UCEQA), which reports to the Ministry of Education, refuted some of the allegations in a comment to Osvitoria.Media. She provided clarification on the content of the tests and assured that temporary examination centres are doing everything possible to organise the process in safe conditions.
At the same time, the Ministry of Education and Science continues to insist on compulsory sitting of four subjects (including mathematics) to maintain high standards of higher education.
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