University Admission Without NMT: New Rules Proposed for Applicants in Ukraine
The situation with the National Multi-Subject Test (NMT) in Odesa region, where due to prolonged air raid alerts participants had to take the exam for almost 13 hours, caused a wide public outcry.
Applicants spent a long time in shelters without proper conditions, and the examination center did not provide access to food and water. Additionally, communication between children and their parents was limited.
The Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, called the situation unacceptable and stated the need to check the observance of the rights of test participants.
Against this background, a petition was submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers calling for the cancellation of the NMT during martial law and the introduction of alternative admission mechanisms to higher education institutions.
The authors of the appeal emphasize that during the NMT, students are forced to be under constant threat of missile strikes, frequent air raid alerts, and prolonged stays in shelters. In some cases, testing along with breaks can last more than 10–13 hours.
According to the initiators of petition No. 41/010087-26ep, such conditions lead to significant physical and psychological exhaustion of applicants. After many hours in shelters, participants find it difficult to maintain concentration, analyze texts, and complete tasks at the required level, which, as noted in the appeal, does not allow for an objective assessment of their knowledge and puts children at unequal conditions.
In this regard, the authors of the petition ask the government and the Ministry of Education and Science to abandon the mandatory NMT during martial law and develop alternative admission mechanisms to higher education institutions. Possible options include entrance exams directly at universities or other forms of assessment determined by the Ministry of Education and Science.
The appeal also emphasizes that in wartime, the priority should be the safety of children and ensuring fair admission conditions for all graduates.
Separately, the authors of the petition express concern that excessive stress, difficult testing conditions, and the risk of not entering a higher education institution may lead to a loss of motivation among young people to study in Ukraine. In their opinion, this will contribute to the outflow of talented graduates abroad and create risks of a shortage of specialists needed by the state for post-war recovery and development.
The petition stresses that Ukraine must support its graduates and create fair conditions for obtaining education, as youth are the foundation of the country's future.
Recall that the Verkhovna Rada will hear from the director of the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment following the 13-hour NMT situation in Odesa region.
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