The «Educational Opportunities of Odessa» forum gathered leaders from educational institutions, ranging from preschool to higher education, along with representatives from government bodies and local administrations.

Key issues requiring collective efforts to improve the quality of educational services were discussed at the event.

Due to the ongoing war, the number of students in Odessa's schools has decreased. However, the workload on educators remains high while the government-set salaries are insufficient. Currently, there are 474 vacant positions in educational institutions, especially a notable shortage of teachers in natural science subjects.

Additional unpaid responsibilities are also diminishing the prestige of the profession, as teachers are tasked with organizing the operations of "Points of Resilience" and shelters.

The establishment of a municipal allowance of 3000 UAH has helped attract young specialists to schools, but the demand for such professionals remains significant.

The average age of teachers in Odessa is 46 years.
Recently, the quality of training for future teachers has also become a challenge due to rapidly changing curriculum requirements.

During the forum, Odessa's mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov instructed the head of the Department of Education and Science, Olena Buinevych, to collaborate with financial experts and the relevant parliamentary committee to develop a system of municipal allowances for educational staff.

The mayor also tasked the development of a collaboration mechanism with the Institute of Physics at Odessa National University to utilize its resources during natural science lessons for high school students.

«Our priorities are clear today: army – education – medicine,» – concluded Odessa's mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov.