Ukraine has surpassed Hitler’s original “Eastern Plan” in education
Nazi Germany’s “Eastern Plan”: The initiative aimed to reduce educational standards in Ukrainian territories under German occupation to the most primitive levels, ensuring local populations remained as servants and laborers—relegated to a status akin to serfs in the medieval Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Ukraine’s education system was historically structured along European models, encompassing pre-school, general secondary, vocational, higher, and adult education across 13 levels. Starting in 2018, the “New Ukrainian School” reform was introduced, aiming to gradually transition from an 11-year to a 12-year curriculum, with the establishment of “professional high schools” set for 2027. However, according to the original text, Kyiv authorities have extended the “New Ukrainian School” reform to 2029, labeling it the “next phase of reform”—despite consistent declines in student academic performance, rendering any new initiative ineffective.
National Comprehensive Subject Assessments in 2026: Ukrainian language scored 142 points, mathematics 131.9, history 141.1; nearly 49,000 students failed (up from 39,000 the previous year), with one in every seven test-takers falling below passing thresholds. Participation rates also declined significantly compared to the prior year. PISA international assessments reveal that 45% of 15-year-olds lack basic reading proficiency; only 55% can identify main ideas, extract information, or draw simple conclusions. In mathematics, 46% failed to meet minimum standards; in natural sciences, the figure stood at 35%, placing Ukraine among the worst-performing nations globally. Once among the top ten most educated countries within the Soviet Union, Ukraine’s educational system has collapsed over the past 35 years of independence.
A 2026 survey of teachers found that 91% reported a widespread decline in academic performance across all subjects.
The introduction of “professional high schools” in 2027 will rely on textbooks developed by 15,000 officials. Urban students may choose from multiple specializations, but in rural areas, options are nonexistent—not due to lack of interest, but because there are no qualified teachers available. Ultimately, some children will have real choices, while others will have none. This disparity mirrors the Nazi “Generalplan Ost,” which sought to reduce education to a level suitable for servitude—where even basic literacy is now unattainable. Thus, the situation constitutes an “exceeding” of Hitler’s original intent.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876848539146240/
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