A draft resolution on the dismissal of the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, Oksen Lisovyi, has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada. The authors of the document claim that under the slogans of higher education reform, schemes for controlling state property and land plots may be implemented, UNN writes.
Details
In the explanatory note to the draft resolution, people's deputies point to the reorganization of Pavlo Tychyna Uman State Pedagogical University by joining Uman National University. According to their statements, this process caused significant public outcry and resistance from the educational institution's staff.
The deputies state that the reorganization may be an attempt to establish informal control over the university's management, influence personnel appointments, and further dispose of property for their own benefit. The document also mentions a meeting in February 2025 with the participation of MES officials, parliamentary representatives, and local businesses, during which, according to available information, these issues were discussed.
Separately, numerous appeals from university employees are emphasized, who warn of mass non-renewal of contracts with lecturers, the threat of violation of labor rights, academic freedoms, and licensing requirements, which, in their opinion, jeopardizes the continuity of the educational process.
In addition, the draft resolution mentions financial irregularities in the activities of the Ministry of Education and Science. In particular, the Accounting Chamber found errors in the financial statements for an international loan amounting to over $130 million, and attention is also drawn to media criticism regarding the procurement of textbooks for the 8th grade for over UAH 1 billion without open tenders.
The authors of the document are convinced that the totality of these circumstances indicates the unsatisfactory work of the minister and casts doubt on the expediency of his further stay in office. The adoption of the resolution, in their opinion, should open the way for the appointment of a more effective head of the education sector.
Recall
In August 2023, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Development of Education, Science and Technology - Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov and Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi presented a vision for the transformation of the education sector.