Top 10 best private schools in Ukraine: Prices, pros and cons. Photo: unsplash / NeONBRAND
Education according to an individual program, several languages, modern equipment, and a lot of clubs and workshops—private schools in Ukraine offer all this. Here they provide greater knowledge, skills and abilities that will help children find solutions in adulthood and think outside the box.
However, the education fees in private schools are too high and sometimes equals education at a university: from $5,000 to 10,000 per year. The amount depends on the accreditation level of the educational institution, material and technical support, the availability of its own buildingб and the amount of additional services. The Page has carried out research on the top best private schools in Ukraine, but is private education worth that kind of money?
Today, there are more than 15,000 institutions of general secondary education in Ukraine and only about 2% of them are private. Most private schools are concentrated in big cities: Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro. Some of these educational institutions have everything necessary for the education of the physically-disabled children.
In general, a private school can be called the best one according to many criteria: according to the EIT (External Independent Testing) rating, the number of academic competitions that students have won, the number of admissions to universities, or the opportunities that the school opens up for a child.
The Page has taken into account the quality of education, innovation, the development of communication and common cultural skills, the number of extra-curricular clubs, and the material and technical resources of the school in its rating.
Top private schools in Ukraine
- International Lyceum "Grand" in the center of Kyiv
The complex of 5 buildings is located in the former Miller's estate of the 19th century. This is a private school of the European format. The lyceum not only offers an innovative educational program, but also holds practical courses on mastering life skills, as well as business, cultural heritage, happiness, responsibility, and personal growth classes.
In addition, the educational institution provides advanced learning of English, business, and computer technology and also has good material and technical resources. There are various workshops, a tennis court, a recording studio, and even a costume room. And the children come to the lyceum by Mercedes buses.
Education fees are 11,000 euros per year.
- Novopecherska School in Kyiv
The school positions itself as a modern educational institution with improved methods of the countries of the world and focuses on developing not only knowledge, but also skills, such as emotional intelligence. The teaching languages are Ukrainian and English. Native speakers of foreign languages teach the subjects.
The school is provided with modern laboratories and workshops. Schoolchildren have access to the school’s unified information system they can view study materials and complete assignments with.
Education fees for 1-7 grades are $13,750 per year, for 8-11 grades—$11,600 per year.
- Meridian International School in Kyiv
The institution holds classes according to the international specialized training program AICE that is part of the international assessment system of the University of Cambridge. Teaching according to the state program is carried out in two languages—Ukrainian and English.
The school has material and technical resources. After the lessons, schoolchildren can attend clubs, elective courses, hobby clubs, and travel around Ukraine and abroad.
Education fees are 175,000 UAH per year, in addition, one needs to pay an entrance fee of 30,000 UAH and a summer fee of 10,000 UAH.
- Aleksandriyskaya Gymnasium in Kyiv
This is a private educational institution of levels I—III that is considered the foundry of Ukrainian elite cadre personnel. The gymnasium has well-equipped classrooms for various subjects, computer labs, and multimedia systems.
The institution provides advanced learning of English, German, and French, some subjects are taught in foreign languages.
The classrooms are provided with special furniture corresponding to the schoolchildren's age characteristics; a separate block—for the youngest gymnasium students with a playroom.
Education fees are 308,000 UAH per year.
- ThinkgGlobal Private School Network
Schools are located throughout Ukraine. Here they offer proprietary training programs for development and career guidance; an online learning platform that contains 6,750 original classes with practical interactive video materials, and testing for an independent student assessment and monitoring current progress.
During the training, children carry out 108 projects, each student works according to the personalized development plan, and the mentoring system helps to develop both skills in academic subjects and personal skills of each student.
The school provides an opportunity for distance learning from anywhere in the world at a convenient time.
Education fees start from 133,000 UAH per year.
- IT Step School in Odesa
The general secondary school with advanced learning of IT and foreign languages has integrated IT technologies into the educational process. There are virtual reality classrooms, modern laboratories, photo and video studios.
In addition, children learn what soft skills are and why they are important, not from the Internet or social networks, but as part of compulsory subjects and work on projects.
Education fees from the 5th grade are 17,600 UAH per month, per year—150,750 UAH.
- Private school Mriya in Odesa
The institution adheres to the principle of family education. There are technically equipped classrooms, a sports complex, a swimming pool, workshops and laboratories, common rooms for teachers and schoolchildren.
Classes are held with the help of new pedagogical technologies, there is a multimedia center where a student can receive information both in electronic and printed form.
Children come from home to school by comfortable buses. And the health of the students on the territory of Mriya is insured by the medical service Into-Sana.
Education fees from the 5th grade are $4,000 per year, the entrance fee is $1,000, from the 7th grade—from $4,500 per year.
- Dyvosvit in Lviv
This is a private educational complex without gadgets: during breaks, schoolchildren communicate with each other, play games, go for a walk on the playground or read instead of spending time in the virtual world.
There are good material and technical resources for education (multiboards, specialized classrooms for physics, chemistry, biology, computer science; classes in the natural sciences in the planetarium; advanced study materials; and laboratories for experiments).
The Lviv institution has a wide range of additional clubs on the territory of the school (sports, creative, musical, choreographic, culinary, overall development clubs).
Education fees are 9,800 UAH per month.
- British International School in Dnipro
This is an officially registered Cambridge International School. Children study in parallel under two programs: according to the British national program (from kindergarten to the 6th grade) and according to the Ukrainian state program (starting from the 1st grade).
From 7th to 9th grade, students follow the British National Curriculum. 10th and 11th grade students are preparing to take the Cambridge IGCSE examination.
The teachers are native speakers. There is a sports complex, a laboratory, a leisure and development center. The menu takes into account the medical needs of children.
Education fees: primary school—15,330 euros per year, secondary school—16,320 euros per year.
- Boiko Private School in Kharkiv
English is taught here according to the Cambridge ESOL system that allows children to obtain international certificates. In addition, the institution provides advanced learning of mathematics in Ukrainian and English.
The classrooms are equipped with multimedia technology; there is a robotics classroom, a gym, an indoor tennis court, a multifunctional sports ground, a climbing wall, etc.
Education fees for 1-8 grades are 98,000 UAH per year, for 9-11 grades—107,000 UAH.
Benefits of private school education
Curricula and pedagogical approach in private schools meet modern requirements: children gain not only theoretical knowledge, but also competency-based (practical) knowledge. Students learn to immediately put them into practice through various interdisciplinary projects. For example, they can combine mathematics, English, science, and music at the same time.
"International private schools working in Ukraine give children the opportunity to obtain two documents on secondary education: one of the international standard, the second of the Ukrainian one. This gives the child freedom of choice in the future because they can enter universities in many countries of the world. For example, Deutsche Schule Kiew graduates take Abitur exams (allowing them to enter universities in any country in the world) and also obtain a Ukrainian certificate of senior secondary education," Olena Kovalchuk, director of the Ukrainian program Deutsche Schule Kiew, explains.
Private Schools: No headache for parents
A good private school is an institution where children feel comfortable, where they can develop and apply all their abilities and skills. According to Lilya Rvach, headmistress at Main School, in addition to a comfortable place, high-quality equipment, small classes, such an institution should have a combination of discipline and democracy.
In a private school, teachers should not only know the major subject but also be comprehensively developed, positive, creative people with their own values, preferences, hobbies, etc.
«The best private schools are those where a child is loved and respected and where the teachers are guided by the children's modern life. Our job is to teach children and prepare them for skills that they can use in practical life. For example, how to seek employment promptly and how to work with information that can become their permanent achievement.»
Lilya Rvach
Headmistress at Main School
It is important to develop other qualities: communication and team skills.
Private schools: For the full development of schoolchildren
Psychological service in a private school is a good trend for a future healthy society. The teacher can turn to a psychologist for help and solve, for example, a situation on controversial issues in communication with a student. The psychologist will pay attention to the features of the psychological development of a child of a certain age and help settle the interaction.
Also there are recreation areas for children of all ages in the private institutions. After all, after school, children attend a variety of clubs: painting, choreography, music, entrepreneurship, photography, sports clubs, etc. An environment has been created here where one can generate and realize ideas, develop one’s creative potential. For example, there are different studios to choose from, where students create comics, shoot films using drones, study IT and LEGO engineering.
So, old-style public schools are aimed at giving abstract knowledge. There is no individual approach here, and a child is overwhelmed with bare and unnecessary facts on various subjects. And, statistically, only 4% of children graduate from public school being healthy; the rest have posture disorders, stomach problems, and nervous disorders as a result of stress.
Private schools, in addition to the necessary knowledge, give more necessary skills and abilities: they teach children to communicate, manage their emotions, be able to present themselves, start their own business, and be financially literate. However, the main disadvantage of private schools are the education fees.
"Sending a child to a private school is like taking out a mortgage for Ukrainian parents: you have to be prepared for the fact that for the next 12 years you will have to pay a certain amount every month for your child’s education. And will you be able to support a student after that? For example, Deutsche Schule Kiew: The Federal Republic of Germany gives Ukrainian students the opportunity to study free of charge at state universities and institutes. And the education fees at the school itself in Kyiv is below the average level, when compared with international schools working in Ukraine," Olena Kovalchuk, director of the Ukrainian program Deutsche Schule Kiew, sums up.