BUILDING THE RESILIENCE OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM AT THE STATE LEVEL: CURRENT STATUS AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

The article examines the current state and prospects of building the resilience of Ukraine’s education system at the state level under martial law and protracted security threats. Education system resilience is conceptualized as an integrated capacity to anticipate, absorb, adapt to and transform in response to crises while maintaining equitable access, quality and safety of learning. The study synthesizes legal, institutional, financial, digital and human-capital dimensions into a unified state-level framework. It reviews Ukrainian legislation on education, martial law, civil protection, cybersecurity, public procurement and budget planning as a formal basis for continuity and safety, and contrasts this with international guidance such as the Sendai Framework, ISO 22301 and analytical reports by UNESCO, UNICEF, OECD and the World Bank. The analysis shows that existing measures – shelter arrangements, hybrid learning, digital platforms, targeted support for vulnerable learners – are often fragmented, highly dependent on local resources and donor support, and weakly integrated into a coherent, data-driven policy architecture. The paper proposes a multi-layered framework that includes: clear allocation of roles and responsibilities between central authorities, local governments, schools and partners; introduction of business continuity management principles (impact assessment, recovery planning, stress testing) into sectoral regulation; development of a national crisis education data dashboard covering safety, participation, learning continuity, cybersecurity incidents and inclusion; diversification of financing through transparent budget programmes, subventions and public–private partnerships;  systematic support for teachers’ professional capital, wellbeing and adaptive leadership. A set of indicative metrics is outlined to assess resilience at national, local and institutional levels, including the share of classes delivered, availability of shelters and backup power, cyber incident response time, coverage of internally displaced learners and students with special needs, and participation in professional learning communities. The article concludes that shifting from ad hoc emergency reactions to an integrated resilience framework grounded in public value, collaborative governance and “antifragile” learning from crises can significantly strengthen the legitimacy, efficiency and sustainability of education policy in Ukraine.