On January 15, in London, Teach For Ukraine initiated a meeting of Ukrainian and UK education leaders, hosted by Teach First. The gathering brought together educators, school leaders, government officials, and civil society representatives from both countries to exchange experiences and insights on leading education in times of challenge.
Natalia Etten, CEO of Teach For Ukraine, noted that such exchanges help cultivate cognitive diversity, challenge familiar ways of thinking, and rethink one’s own practices while drawing inspiration from colleagues. At the same time, they provide a platform to share Ukraine’s educational challenges and achievements with the world, keeping Ukrainian educators and schools in the international spotlight — an especially important effort in today’s fast-moving and turbulent world.
Participants shared lessons from managing education systems through large-scale crises, focusing on what it means to provide effective leadership under profound uncertainty. Discussions drew on Ukraine’s experience during the full-scale war and the UK’s experience navigating the post-COVID-19 recovery. Particular attention was given to the role of Teach For Ukraine and Teach First in strengthening educational leadership and ensuring continuity of learning for children even amid uncertainty.
The meeting took place at City of London Academy Southwark, providing participants with an opportunity to explore the UK school system firsthand. The programme included a school tour, a roundtable discussion with the CEO of Teach First and representatives from the UK Department for Education, as well as informal conversations with Ukrainian students currently studying at the school.
Representatives from the UK Department for Education included Patrick Carey, Director of School Workforce, and Esther Eldridge-Mrotzek, Policy Advisor. Teach First was represented by CEO James Toop, Head of Policy and Public Affairs Jessica McVey, and Director of Ambassadors and Audiences Charlotte Zamboni. The discussion also featured Mike Baxter, Head Teacher of City of London Academy Southwark, along with other members of the school’s leadership team.
Participants discussed both shared and differing challenges facing the education systems of Ukraine and the UK, as well as opportunities for future cooperation.
The Ukrainian delegation included representatives from education, government, and civil society:
– Natalia Katashynska – Manager of Educational Programs, UNESCO Ukraine
– Kateryna Terletska – Researcher, Mathematician, Youth Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
– Darina Vasilyeva – Head of the Department of Mathematics and Informatics, Institute of Pedagogy, National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine
– Tetiana Shcherbak – School Principal, Main Point Academy (Uzhhorod)
– Kateryna Molodyk – Coordinator, Office for Implementing the New Ukrainian School Reform, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
– Oksana Azhniuk – Head of Training and Support, Teach For Ukraine
– Olha Yurchyshyn – School and Community Partnership Manager, Teach For Ukraine
– Natalia Etten – CEO, Teach For Ukraine
For Teach For Ukraine, the meeting marked another step in strengthening international partnerships and fostering dialogue on education system resilience, leadership, and support for teachers and schools in times of crisis. The exchange with UK colleagues, particularly Teach First, contributes to developing shared approaches to systemic change in education and identifying solutions relevant both to Ukraine and the global education community.
Since 2017, Teach For Ukraine has been a partner organization within the Teach For All global network, which has over 30 years of experience and currently independently operates in 63 countries worldwide.
