Наталя Хандусенко Hot News 7 June 2026, 11:16

"The exam should not test abstract complex formulas, but the ability to logically reason and solve real-life problems." What do teachers think about the exclusion of mathematics from mandatory subjects in secondary education?

This week, the news of the abolition of mathematics as a mandatory subject at secondary schools shook Ukrainian society. Representatives of the IT community and business, university teachers, and the military spoke out on this topic. But how do they see the situation in the classrooms themselves? dev.ua collected the opinions of mathematics teachers from an elite city lyceum to an ordinary rural school.

Bill and petitions against mathematics as a mandatory subject at NMT

Recall that on June 2, 2026, a group of 50 people's deputies registered a bill proposing to abolish this subject of NMT as mandatory.

Lawmakers want to make life easier for future applicants. According to the bill, starting in 2027, the NMT format is proposed to be reduced to three subjects. They plan to leave only the Ukrainian language and history of Ukraine as mandatory, while mathematics will move to the category of elective subjects. At the same time, the head of the Ministry of Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi, stated that the ministry is categorically against such innovations.

However, it is not only parliamentarians who are demanding the removal of mathematics from the mandatory list. Similar demands are regularly made by citizens through petitions on the official portal. In particular, the petition registered on March 20 has already collected almost 11,000 votes out of the 25,000 required.

"Recent years have clearly shown that compulsory mathematics in NMT creates excessive pressure on graduates, especially those who plan to study in the humanitarian, social, pedagogical or creative specialties. Many applicants who demonstrate high results in the Ukrainian language, history, literature, foreign languages or other subjects cannot fully realize their potential due to low scores in mathematics, which is often not related to their future profession," the petition states .

NMT was introduced in 2022 as a forced alternative to external examinations due to a full-scale invasion and security risks. In 2024, the average score of entrants for the mathematics block was 132.5 (on a scale of 100–200). The following year, in 2025, this indicator showed minimal fluctuations, settling at 132.3 points. However, the average results in the remaining mandatory subjects are 10–14 points higher. In particular, the average score in the Ukrainian language was 146.8 in 2024 and 146.3 in 2025, and in the history of Ukraine - 143.2 and 141.6 points, respectively.

Teachers' opinions

The editorial staff of dev.ua has already shared the position of representatives of the IT sector, scientists, military personnel, and the business community on this initiative. For many, such a step looks not as salvation, but as a capitulation in the battle for the intellectual future of a country waging a technological war.

But what is the vision of those who stand at the school board every day? We asked three mathematics and physics teachers: from a lyceum in the regional center, a school in a small town, and a rural educational institution.

An analysis of the opinions of educators shows that despite their different experiences, all three teachers see a deep crisis in modern education:

Decline in general interest and laziness due to gadgets: All three note that children's interest in learning is declining. The main reason is the development of technology (homework, programs for photo fixation and solving problems, artificial intelligence). It is more difficult for students to do things that require systematic thinking.
Mathematics requires effort and systematicity: Educators agree that the subject is difficult to learn, it requires long-term, systematic work, logical thinking, and memory, which many people currently lack.
The need for an applied orientation: All teachers refer to the fact that mathematics should be connected to real life. It is necessary to solve real-life problems in lessons, as is done abroad, so that children understand the practical value of the subject.
Ukrainian children have potential: Teachers defend students, claiming that the level of teaching and the potential of children in Ukraine are not bad (as evidenced by 200-pointers and winners of Olympiads), but the problem lies in the system and approaches.

However, opinions are divided on the issue of NMT. Two out of three teachers consider the abolition of the mandatory exam a catastrophic mistake that will devalue the subject (as happened with physics and chemistry) and weaken the state in the technological market. They demand not abolition, but a change in approaches - division by level of complexity and the addition of real-life tasks.

Instead, one of the teachers considers forced passing ineffective ("they don't get smarter") and advocates for specialized specialization: not everyone needs higher mathematics, so applicants have the right to choose their path.

Next, we present the direct speech of three teachers.

Dmytro Marchenko, a mathematics and physics teacher with 22 years of experience and working at the "NUSH" and "Naukovyi" lyceums in Kropyvnytskyi:

"Mathematics is not just about numbers, but also a tool for structuring thinking. It teaches you how to analyze information, identify cause-and-effect relationships, and build arguments, which is critical for any profession, not just technical ones."

The world is moving towards digitalization, data analytics, and artificial intelligence. A basic level of mathematical literacy is necessary for successful socialization and professional fulfillment in today's technological society.

If mathematics is made optional, some students may avoid it due to its difficulty. This can lead to “educational gaps” where a significant proportion of graduates find themselves at a disadvantage when further studying related disciplines at university.

In many countries with high levels of education (e.g. Singapore, Scandinavian countries, Japan), mathematics is a mandatory component of exams, confirming its status as a foundation for academic success.

In my opinion, the question should not be a “repeat or leave.” A more effective solution for Ukraine would be:

Retaining mathematics as mandatory, but with a clear division into the "standard" level (basic literacy necessary for every citizen) and "profile" (for future engineers, IT professionals, economists, etc.).
Often, the hatred of mathematics is not caused by the subject, but by outdated teaching methods. Emphasis on the practical application of mathematics in real life (financial literacy, statistics, planning) could significantly increase student motivation.

Therefore, the complete rejection of mathematics as a mandatory subject in the conditions of global competition may weaken the intellectual potential of the nation. However, the mandatory exam should test not abstract complex formulas, but the ability to logically reason and solve life (competence) problems, so that it does not become a "punitive" tool, but a test of basic functional literacy.

That is why the problem should be solved not by abolishing the subject, but by reforming the grading system and difficulty levels."

A math and physics teacher with 35 years of experience in a small town , who agreed to comment on the situation for dev.ua on condition of anonymity.

"In my opinion, the attitude towards the subject is not related to the choice of the exam format. It is related to the decrease in children's interest in learning in general. It all started with GDZ, which students began to use without practicing their skills, and then the situation was complicated by calculation programs (when you don't need to make calculations, but simply take a picture of an example). And in addition, the use of artificial intelligence by students. All this leads to a loss of interest in everything that requires thinking and is difficult.

I think that the fact that everyone passes mathematics does not make either students or future applicants smarter. We need to increase the importance of studying all subjects, especially the natural and mathematical cycle, as a basis for NTP. And mathematics here is the language of science. When children studying under the NUSh program graduate from grade 9, they will take exams in the subjects of the basic cycle and choose their future path: lyceum, college or vocational and technical lyceum. Mathematics is needed as a basis and at the level of life skills for calculation. But not everyone will associate their future profession with mathematics. It is normal to pass the subject that will be basic for admission.

Yes, low scores indicate that it is really difficult for students. Currently, there is no selection for the 10th grade, so absolutely everyone studies in high school: both those who find mathematics easy and those who find it not very difficult or not at all. Mastering mathematics in high school, and in general, requires significant effort, developed logical thinking and a good memory. However, not all students are endowed with such abilities.

But our children are not worse. It's just that any theoretical tasks need to be solved through the prism of real-life examples right in the lessons. This is what the applied direction of the subject and inter-subject connections are. We simply have different approaches to learning from Western ones.

Regarding the consequences of the adoption of the law, I think they will not be catastrophic. The main thing is that the state restores the importance of knowledge in all subjects, including mathematics, and takes into account the average score of the certificate during admission. Because now there is a situation where students are preparing exclusively for NMT subjects, not giving importance to other disciplines at all. And at the same time, some of them still do not succeed in testing.

A math and physics teacher with 12 years of experience in a rural school , who agreed to comment on the situation for dev.ua on condition of anonymity.

"At one time, exams were taken in schools every year, and mathematics was never skipped. Now, final tests are taken only after the 11th grade for admission to universities. Previously, this was a full-fledged external assessment, but now, due to a full-scale invasion, a multi-subject test is conducted in one day. Because of this, the depth of the tasks has decreased, because instead of a separate multi-hour exam, the participant spends only one hour on the mathematics block. Students often complain about the mandatory status of this subject, since it is not easy for everyone. Mastering mathematics requires a systematic approach, but this skill is, unfortunately, gradually disappearing among modern schoolchildren.

Interest in mathematics has been declining over the years, and not only in Ukraine — such trends are observed all over the world. One of the main reasons is that the subject requires systematic and logical mastery of the material. In the conditions of total development of gadgets, this ability is preserved in an increasingly smaller number of students. It is much easier for them to complete their homework with the help of AI than to think independently. And this applies not only to mathematics, but also to other sciences.

The proposed changes to abolish the mandatory NMT in mathematics will negatively affect further study of the subject in secondary and junior high schools. Mathematics may repeat the fate of physics and chemistry: applicants will simply not want to take exams in them, which will cause the number of applicants to higher education institutions, in particular to teaching specialties, to drop to zero.

Yes, indeed, mathematics has the highest percentage of students who fail it and, accordingly, lose the chance to enter the entire NMT. But I will also note something else: it is mathematics that gives the largest number of participants who pass the exam for a maximum of 200 points. That is, a student who takes a responsible approach to completing the subject and works conscientiously for a long time will be able to achieve success. I repeat, a systematic approach is needed, and then there will be a positive result according to the testing results. It is worth preparing thoroughly for the NMT in this subject for two years, not a few months.

In OECD countries, teenagers solve more applied problems in mathematics lessons than in Ukraine. This problem can be solved gradually, not instantly - by adding 1-2 problems on a topic to the course of studying the subject. A sharp change in the program usually only causes stress in teachers and resistance in children. And in a few years, completing applied tasks will bring progress. Therefore, one should not assume that mathematics is studied at a weak level in our country. With a responsible and thorough approach to mastering knowledge and skills, Ukrainians show good results. The most talented Ukrainian children take the highest places in world tournaments in various disciplines.

If the mandatory NMT in mathematics is canceled, we will have very sad consequences for both the younger generation and our entire country. Today, specialists in the fields of information technology, exact sciences, and engineering are most valued in the world. Such a decision by the parliament will throw Ukraine back decades.

As a summary

The crisis in mathematics education in Ukraine is not a consequence of the NMT format, but the result of a systemic decline in interest in learning in the era of gadgets and artificial intelligence. The abolition of mandatory testing will not solve the problem, but only preserve it, finally cutting off future applicants from the global technological market. However, it is impossible to leave the exam in its current form as a "punitive instrument". The solution should not be the abandonment of mathematics, but a fundamental change in approaches: the division of tests into basic ("life") and profile levels, the abandonment of outdated methods and a focus on logic and financial literacy. Schools should prepare a thinking generation capable of withstanding global competition.