War cannot stop education. A shining example of this is Ukraine’s ongoing efforts for democracy education and a decentralized education system, which the Zurich University of Teacher Education (PH Zurich) is proud to support for another five years.
Since 2009, PH Zurich has worked closely with Ukraine on advancing education and democracy. Among these collaborations were the project Development of Citizenship Competences in Ukraine (DOCCU) and the project Decentralization for Improved Democratic Education (DECIDE) which were both funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented in close collaboration with the Ukrainian NGO DOCCU.
Despite major challenges like the pandemic and the Russian war of aggression, Ukraine has prevailed in implementing education reforms for a more decentralized and democratic education system. Notable outcomes include the development of democratic education governance at a local level, the widespread implementation of Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights (EDC/HRE), and the development of a professional orientation programme for grades 7–9. Furthermore, substantial contributions have been made to renovating shelters so that students can continue their education during wartime.
While reconstruction and educational reforms are ongoing, Switzerland and Ukraine signed a memorandum at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome in July 2025, extending DECIDE into its second phase from September 2025 to August 2030. This phase will expand activities to nine regions and 40 partner communities, deepen focus on educational reform and professional pathways, and build a professional-orientation system drawing on PH Zurich’s expertise and the JOBS teaching materials which were piloted earlier.
In the spirit of Living Democracy, DECIDE strives to strengthen democratic culture by linking governance reform, civic participation and education for young people, even in crisis settings. However, change like this requires efforts not only from students but also from municipalities, principals, teachers and parents. As Ukraine moves towards reconstruction, the Living Democracy team is pleased to support these efforts by providing the materials available on Living Democracy for today’s learners and tomorrow’s citizens.
