EDUCATION CLUSTER MEETING, 5 March 2015, Time: 10:00 – 11:30, MINUTES
Participants
Sergiy Dyatlenko (Ministry of Education and Science)
Olena Sadovnyk (DRC/DDG)
Karen Kisakeni (DRC/DDG)
Olena Sakovych (UNICEF)
Nina Strelkovska (UNICEF)
Frederik Telle (UNICEF)
Subject
Welcome and
introduction
Olesya Ogryzko (Save the Children)
Igor Postolnyk (Open Politics)
Liliya Lyubomudrova (UNICEF)
Haitham Farag (UNICEF)
Vlad Lashko (UNICEF)
Julia Voronina (Democracy Development Center)
Rekha Das (Education Cluster Coordinator)
Discussion
Welcome and introduction of new cluster coordinator - Rekha Das.
Rekha Das: presentation of agenda:
Action points
1 – Welcome & Introduction
2 - Situation update, issues in the field, presence of partners
3 – Reporting and Monitoring
4 - Coordination in Kyiv and outside Kyiv
5 - Brainstorm on assessment of the needs
Situation/
Response
update, plans
and field
presence
DRC/DDG (Danish Refugee Council/Danish Demining Group)
Field Presence: Setting up office in Syeverodonetsk and possibly Kramatorsk and Slovyansk.
Education Response:
 Currently KAP (Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice) survey is being conducted as basis for Mine Risk
Education (MRE) activities.
 Strengthening capacity of local authorities.
 Meeting with other MRE actors held to coordinate MRE
Plans: to work with secondary and high school students on Mine Risk Education (MRE).
Save the Children:
Field Presence: Dnipropetrovsk oblast (focused on city Nikopol), Zaporizzhia oblast (focused on city Zaporizzhia).
Donetsk oblast is a priority for 2015.
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Subject
Discussion
Education Response:
 23 first psychological aid trainings conducted in Dnipropetrovsk and Nikopol
 2000 back-to-school kits for children grade 1-3 (aged 6-8) procured
 Level of damage of 8 schools in Donbas assessed in partnership with UNICEF
 23 PFA trainings for teachers and caregivers of recently displaced children held
 Catch-up classes organised for 8-11 grade, covering in total 63 children
 Equipment procured for ECD (Early Childhood Development) unit at school #72 in Dnipropetrovsk
 MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) signed with Department of Education of Dnipropetrovsk
oblast. Aiming to sign MoU with Department of Education of Zaporizka oblast
Action points
Democracy Development Center
Field Presence: Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv oblast
Education Response
 Democratic development in Ukraine through schools. Working with IDP schoolchildren and teachers
who works with IDPs. Arrange debates, practical law classes.
UNICEF
Field presence: Kharkiv, Planning to expand field presence to Kramatorsk, Mariupol and Donetsk.
Education Response:
 In February Educational kits delivered for children both in post-conflict and conflict zone.
 Funds received to reconstruct 50 schools in post-conflict territories in partnership with UNDP.
Preliminary assessment of schools damaged conducted.
 MoU with Departments in Donetsk and Luhansk oblast is being prepared
Open Policy Fund:
Education Response:
 Discussions with Ministry of Education and Science held regarding examinations for displaced children
and those living in Non-government controlled areas (NGCA), as a result, system of application for
final exams was simplified. The date of final exam was moved with several options in April and June,
depending on the date of application.
 Step-by-step instruction was developed with UNICEF for displaced children and those living in NGCA
explaining how to register for final exams.
Issue: 1) It is hard to reach and inform these children as information cannot enter NGCA through official
channels. 2) It is hard to collect statistics of 11-grade students among IDP and within NCGA.
Ministry of Education and Science:
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Subject
Discussion
 Emphasised that all IDP children including from Crimea must have an opportunity to study in Ukraine.
An official circular was sent to schools and kindergartens calling them to host children from conflict
territories
Issue: As families move to different places, children are registered in a different schools.
 Clarified the importance of granting the right to receive education documents to displaced children
and those living in NGCA.
 Important to focus on the preparation for final exams for children in NCGA. Find a mechanism, which
allows children to move from the conflict zone and be registered for exams in Ukraine is being
arranged. A database of possible locations that can receive children collected. Some organisations are
willing to provide financial support.
Issue: 1) Reaching children in need with information. 2) Funding of locations that receive children.
 Dates of registration for final exams: The registration process has been extended to 20 April, and final
exam timeframe is now set for 9 June. MoE is considering another extension. This information has also
been sent to the State Emergency Service, Ministry of Defence and Security Service of Ukraine to
make it easier for children from NCGA to cross into the government controlled areas. MoE believes
that it is best that the students remain in the government controlled areas until they have completed
their exams, in order not to cross the boundary line many times.
Issue: the Ministry is concerned that NCGA there may be actions not to let children out.
Action points
Reporting and
Monitoring
WWW (WhoWhere-What)
Rekha:
The two objectives of Education cluster according to Strategic Response Plan:
1) Access to quality education for all crisis-affected children
2) Mine risk education for children, parents (caregivers), educators and civil society actors.
Inputs to WWW from
each member of
cluster, deadline: 6
March
It is necessary to understand the activities and plans of each partner in order to avoid overlapping and
coordinate the response. It can also help us monitor. WWW Inputs so far received from UNICEF, Save the
Children and La Strada. Encourage other partners to submit WWW – even if it is planned activities. With
substantial input from cluster partners we can produce overviews, maps and updates that can help us plan
better together. (WASH cluster map as an example)
Rekha will send out
formats again.
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Subject
Coordination
structure (Kyiv
vs outside Kyiv)
Discussion
More and more partners are working in the affected areas. The Education cluster needs to decentralise to
coordinate better with other agencies and organisations outside Kiev. Options for field hubs were discussed:
Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizzhia.




Assessment
and needs –
initial
brainstorm
Save the Children: Agree with the suggestion of stronger field coordination. SC has its main office in
Dnipropetrovsk and would be very supportive of a coordination hub in Dnipropetrovsk. There are
many education partners in Dnipropetrovsk who would benefit from a strengthened coordination, and
it could also serve other areas. Also highlighted that other clusters, like Shelter cluster and Child
Protection sub-cluster meet in Dnipropetrovsk.
UNICEF: Also supportive of a coordination structure in Dnipropetrovsk. A mapping of partners to be
made by specialist in Kharkiv to assess the need for a cluster there.
DDG: Most MRE colleagues are in the eastern Ukriane. Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk are preferable.
DDG would also like to consider establishing a hub in Severodonetsk
Open Policy: Not clear yet whether they will work in NGCA because of security risks. So far Open
Policy is based in Kyiv and Slovyansk. Future plans could include: Kharkiv, Zaporizzia, Mariupol.
It was agreed to expand gradually - begin with a sub-cluster in Dnipropetrovsk.
Education surveys and assessments so far include:



DDG: KAP survey on MRE is being conducted. Results to be shared at beginning of May.
Save the Children: ACAPS Multi-sectoral research of needs in Eastern Ukraine to be finalized by end of
March, results: mid-April. Education part is included but not detailed.
Ministry of Education & Science: Secondary schools - field visits conducted. Updated Info on damaged
schools and functioning schools is regularly received and the Ministry doesn’t have a big need for
additional information.
MoES informs about other general needs:
Currently the schools are not used to maximum capacity and are therefore able to include IDPs. The
situation is changing rapidly, damaged schools are according to MoE being reconstructed. The need
for repair is not as acute as may be depicted. However, there is lack of equipment - tables, desks,
chairs, computers, specific equipment school supplies/Education Kits.
There is a lack of 80 000 places in kindergartens in government controlled areas. Children are
gathered in joint institutions. Save the Children implements ECD (Early Childhood Development)
activities within school premises.
Children need psychological and social support. Overcrowded classrooms lead to conflicts and tension
among children. MoE also believes that there is a need for cascading trainings for all teachers.
Action points
Rekha: to share
conclusions from this
meeting about
establishing a subcluster in
Dnipropetrovsk with all
partners.
Rekha will travel to
Dnipropetrovsk and
meet with partners
next week.
UNICEF: to share
mapping of partners in
Kharkiv (next meeting)
Ministry of Education:
share updated
statistics on damaged
schools and projected
needs of psychosocial
support
Share results of
researches:
DDG: KAP (beginning of
May)
Save the Children:
ACAPS (mid-April)
Continue discussion at
the next meeting.
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Subject
Wrap up:
Cluster
contacts
Discussion
Need for MRE - recent incident in Chernigiv oblast. (mine exploded in school)
IDP families cannot afford summer vacation and organize summer holidays for children.
Partners would benefit from having a more comprehensive overview of education needs and gaps. Results to
be shared from the ongoing assessments and the discussion on an education needs assessment is continued at
next meeting.
 Map of cluster activities and partner presence to be compiled upon submission of more WWWs.
 Cluster meetings in Kyiv: every 2 weeks on Thursday 10:00.
 Email: EducationCluster.Ukraine@gmail.com
 Register at: www.humanitarianresponse.info in Education section
Action points
Next Cluster meeting
will be conducted on
March, 19 at 10:00
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