Half of schools operate with outdated technology: 11 billion hryvnia spent on this
This was reported by the Accounting Chamber.
In 2021–2024, UAH 11.3 billion was allocated for the digitalisation of general secondary education institutions in Ukraine. These funds came from the state and local budgets, as well as international donor assistance.
The programme provided for the supply of computer hardware and multimedia equipment for classrooms, the development of the All-Ukrainian Online School web platform, the operation of the Automated Information Complex for Educational Management (AICEM) software and hardware complex, and the professional development of teaching staff in the field of digital competences.
These funds were used to supply schools with computer hardware and multimedia equipment worth UAH 9.739 billion. Another UAH 1.527 billion was allocated for the training of teaching staff. UAH 74.2 million was spent on the development of the All-Ukrainian Online School web platform, and UAH 6.5 million on the operation of the AICOM complex.
In 2021–2024, 11,700 municipal general secondary education institutions received a total of 395,260 digital devices. Of these, 245,700 were provided through international donor assistance, mainly to regions close to the combat zone.
At the same time, an audit by the Accounting Chamber revealed a number of systemic problems in the implementation of digitalisation measures.
In particular, in 2021–2024, the digitisation of schools was carried out without an approved sectoral strategic document that would define the objectives, implementation stages, performance indicators and monitoring mechanisms.
The auditors also found that the Ministry of Education and Science managed the process mainly through financial and procedural mechanisms without sufficient consideration of the actual needs of educational institutions.
There was virtually no systematic collection of data on the availability of equipment and the technical condition of technology in schools. As a result, some institutions received more equipment than they actually needed, while others remained under-equipped.
There were also cases of equipment being delivered to schools with delays of up to two years.
In some institutions in the Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk and Mykolaiv regions, the equipment is not used due to technical malfunctions or non-compliance with the requirements of the New Ukrainian School reform.
Some of the measures financed from the state budget were implemented late or not completed. As a result, UAH 342 million was returned to the state budget.
According to the results of a survey of school administrations and teaching staff conducted by the Accounting Chamber, the material and technical support of educational institutions remains uneven.
For example, 46.6% of schools use computer equipment manufactured between 2005 and 2011.
In 39.6% of institutions, there is a shortage of devices — on average, there is one computer for every two or three students.
Only 3.7% of teachers reported that their schools had specialised STEM equipment.
Between 31,600 and 194,300 teaching staff underwent training in digital skills development between 2021 and 2024. At the same time, the content of the programmes, the duration of the courses and the approaches to their organisation varied significantly between regions.
Olga Pishchanska, Chair of the Accounting Chamber, noted that the digitisation of educational institutions was carried out without a system that would combine needs assessment, planning, implementation, and results
.Clear measurable goals and performance indicators were not defined, and management did not systematically monitor whether the planned measures were implemented and whether they had the expected effect on schools, teachers and students," she said.
