«The profession has become unprestigious», — the Department of Education announced a shortage of more than 300 teachers in schools in Mykolaiv region

As of the end of October, 357 vacancies for teachers were open in Mykolaiv region, but there is no one to fill them. Most of all, there is a shortage of maths, English, physics and chemistry teachers.

This was reported by Alla Velikhovska, director of the Department of Education and Science of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, during a meeting of the regional council's specialised commission, NikVesti writes.

«According to education departments, there are 1,639 teachers of retirement age in the region, which is 16.7% of the total number of teachers. The profession has become unprestigious. We analysed how young specialists come to schools: this year there were 79 young teachers, but 54 have already left — the rest have resigned», said Alla Velikhovska.

According to her, every year fewer and fewer graduates of pedagogical universities go to work in their speciality. Last year, 380 students graduated from Vasyl Sukhomlynskyi University, which was merged with the Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding, but only 30 went to schools in the region. This year, there are 274 graduates, and 23 went to schools.

The situation is also difficult with state-funded places. For example, the Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding allocated 103 state-funded places for pedagogical specialities, but received only 33 applications.

«Only one person applied for the speciality «mathematics» out of 13 state-funded places. And we have to teach her for another six years. And no one knows whether she will go to work in a school,» added Alla Velikhovska.

The head of the department also stressed that vocational schools are particularly short of vocational instructors.

«The profession has become unprestigious. Low salaries, but enormous demands on teachers. Young people do not consider this profession for their lives», Alla Velikhovska summed up.

Given the shortage of teaching staff, the commission members recommended that the heads of the territorial communities consider concluding direct contracts with the Sukhomlynskyi Educational and Research Pedagogical Institute of the Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding to train the necessary specialists.

The commission also recommended that the head of the regional military administration send a letter to the communities with a proposal to strengthen efforts to attract and retain teachers.

As of 2024, it was reported that about 70% of teachers who were forced to leave due to the Russian invasion and shelling of the region had returned to Mykolaiv region.

It should also be noted that teachers at the reorganised Vasyl Sukhomlynskyi Mykolaiv National University complain that representatives of the National University of Kyiv, which the university joined as a Pedagogical Institute, plan to appoint their own people to the positions.

Unification of Mykolaiv universities

As you know, on 5 January, the website of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine published information about the intention to merge the Mykolaiv National University named after V. O. Sukhomlynskyi with the University of Shipbuilding. Subsequently, these two institutions were to be merged to form a multidisciplinary University of Shipbuilding and Development of the South (USDS).

Commenting on this initiative, Yevhen Trushliakov, Rector of the Makarov National University of Shipbuilding, expressed his dissatisfaction with the proposed name of the new educational institution, UKRoP. In particular, he noted that the decision did not reflect the opinion and position of the students and faculty of the National University of Shipbuilding.

Later, the Cabinet of Ministers supported the reorganisation of two higher education institutions in Mykolaiv without giving them the name of the Ukrainian University of Shipbuilding and Construction proposed by the Ministry of Education.

The idea that one of the universities, which suffered from Russian shelling, should be closed or reorganised and merged with a more efficient one, was previously voiced by the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, Vitalii Kim.

At that time, Sukhomlynskyi University responded to the statement of the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration. Professor Svitlana Yakymenko, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, said that the university should not be closed. Students of the university also joined the appeal, calling for the institution to be saved and for work to begin on clearing the rubble of the destroyed part of the university.

In February 2024, 317 master's graduates of the Sukhomlynskyi National University of Mykolaiv stated that they could not receive their diplomas due to the reorganisation.

After that, the management of the Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding provided details of the merger process with Vasyl Sukhomlynskyi University. Namely, in which buildings students will study, whether they plan to reduce the teaching staff, and whether they will preserve faculties and budget places.