Ukrainian youth to benefit from new hobby education model created by Estonia-Ukraine collaboration

There are an estimated five million children in Ukraine whose education has been interrupted by Russia's war of aggression. While general education schools have generally been able to reorganise their study plans, hobby education has essentially stopped. Recent reforms have transferred hobby school administration to local governments, but they lack the necessary experience to successfully restart these programmes. 

The city of Malyn and ESTDEV are collaborating on a hobby education development plan that offers high-quality, diverse learning opportunities according to the needs of local children and youth. Local governments, schools, cultural and sports organisations, and communities will be able to follow the plan’s framework and organisational structure to promote a sustainable, inclusive education system. 

Kristi Kulu, programme manager for Education at ESTDEV, said that the new model for Malyn's hobby education is based on European Union standards, which emphasise student-centred learning, flexible educational opportunities, and integrating formal and hobby education. 

"Our goal is to create a comprehensive, sustainable hobby education system that offers high-quality and diverse opportunities for every child. During the project, we will modernise both the learning content and management models to ensure hobby education in Malyn is more efficiently organised and better integrated with general education," said Kulu. 

Kulu said supporting teachers' professional development and implementing modern learning methods within the project is vital. "This will help align Malyn's hobby education with the educational policies of the EU. Ukraine will be an example for other regions,” Kulu said. 

A freshly renovated building and new learning opportunities 

Malyn's children's music school was damaged in a bombing when the war started, so the first stage of the project is building renovation. Once finished, music lessons, art circles, drama classes and other recreational activities for children and young people will be held together under the newly rebuilt roof. 

Speaking at the opening event of the project, Nataliia Ostapchenko, the first deputy governor for the Zhytomyr Region, emphasised that for families to return to the region, there must be good educational opportunities. "This cooperation project with Estonia does not only mean renovating the building but also giving it a new life," Ostapchenko said. 

Malyn's mayor, Oleksandr Sytailo, said, "The youth and children's hobby school symbolically connects Ukraine's future with its cultural heritage." He expressed hope that local and Estonian experts can work together to create a modern educational centre where young people can spend meaningful time after school. 

Margus Gering, ESTDEV's head of Development and Cooperation for Ukraine, said, "In addition to renovating the Malyn Hobby School building, we also want to offer a new approach to organising the activities of hobby schools and offer training and consulting programmes to educational workers and officials in the city." 

Gering emphasised that since the development of hobby education is a new topic for all municipalities, the Malyn Development Plan has been designed to be scalable to local governments across Ukraine. 

Schoolchildren to participate in creating new curriculum 

A working group, which will include local schoolchildren, will map the needs of local youth and current opportunities as part of renewing the hobby school's curriculum. This co-creative process will lay the foundation for a modern hobby school. 

As part of the overall development plan, study tours will be organised to Estonia to introduce the management of Estonian hobby schools and hobby education. Teachers of Malyn’s three hobby schools will be trained in current student-centred learning and teaching methods, assessment and curriculum development. Online training and seminars will complement in-person training. 

ESDTEV will contribute over 160,000 euros to the two-year curriculum renewal project. Several Estonian experts, including hobby education specialists, trainers, and experts in education and youth, will support the project. Estonia is also financing the renovation of the premises of the Malyn Hobby School with over two million euros. Construction work will be finalised by the end of 2025.