Math test to remain mandatory for graduating high school students
Yuliia Svyrydenko (Photo: zoda.gov.ua)
The government will not move mathematics into the list of elective
subjects on the National Multisubject Test (NMT) Ukrainian high schoolers
take to graduate, Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said on June 8.
Speaking at the Education of New Ukraine 2.0 conference in Kyiv, Svyrydenko said the government does not plan to change the current testing model next year or thereafter because natural sciences lay the foundation for rebuilding the country.
She called the debate over making math optional "strange" and warned that such a move could harm future applicants and the country itself. Svyrydenko said young people need the analytical skills, knowledge, and abilities that mathematics develops to create the best conditions for life and business. She also urged openness in communicating with the public and reaffirmed the government's firm position on preserving the existing exam structure.
Her statement comes amid active discussion on social media, where graduates have complained that this year's math tasks are significantly more difficult than last year's.
Meanwhile, MPs in the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) have introduced a legislative alternative. Yuliya Hryshyna, chair of the higher education subcommittee, together with 50 lawmakers registered an alternative bill, No. 15254-1, that would reduce the total number of NMT subjects and move mathematics from required exams to electives as early as 2027.
Education Minister Oksen Lisovyi and his ministry have
officially opposed the bill.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
