12 PRINCIPLES FOR TRANSFORMING SOVIET-ERA SCHOOLS
12 Principles were written to redefine the purpose of the school building. These principles fundamentally reprogram the structural framework of school buildings and their sites based on humanistic values. 12 Principles is the answer on WHY and HOW the school building shall serve the pupils, teachers, parents and the whole neighborhood community. Principles reprogram school building spatial propaganda by awareness and gives practical tools.
12 Principles were written and were approved on the national level of Ukraine for Ukraine, yet it is universal to CEE and other anti-humanistic school buildings. The 12 value-based principles are part of Ukraine's new school reform, aimed at not only restoring but also restructuring schools across the country. With these principles Ukraine is set to be the first country in Eastern and Central Europe to transform Soviet-era schools based on both technical and value-based requirements.
“The new design solutions in schools will enable more effective implementation of the New Ukrainian School (NUSh) principles - qualitatively implementing an activity-based approach to teaching, conducting experiments, and flexibly adapting classrooms to different educational needs. We must also do everything to make schools genuinely safe and inclusive environments. And this is more relevant than ever during a war”- said Oleksii Lysovyy, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, teacher, soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Candidate of Philosophy, after public release of 12 principles.
“A school is not just a building; it is a space where the future is shaped. The size of the space largely determines the future. Most schools in Ukraine are typical Soviet solutions, whose main task was not the development and realization of each child but servicing the Soviet totalitarian system. We want European school spaces in Ukraine: aesthetic, inclusive, modern spaces designed for communication, collaborative creation, and interaction. That's why Mariupol Reborn financed the development of concepts to transform 5 typical Soviet schools into modern democratic educational spaces. Based on these concepts, thousands of schools across Ukraine can be transformed. The transformation principles formulated during the concept development reflect a modern understanding of good schools. And these principles are universal. The Mariupol Reborn team is proud to be a partner of the state in such an important project.”- said Natalya Yemchenko, a member of the Supervisory Board of Mariupol Reborn and Communications Director at SCM
“I see improving the educational environment as enabling youth to develop personally in schools, think, and rely on their own decisions. I believes that transformation will help find joy in learning and create a creative environment for play or quiet moments, bringing new freedom to buildings.”- said Siiri Vallner, leading Estonian architect, co-editor of the principles
Year: 2024
Location: CEE Europe
Type: Guidelines
Status: Completed
Editors in Chief: G.T. Gylyte, S.Valner, C.Nagy, M.Yakovlev
Team: Rebuild the Wonderful, KavaKava (EE), Archicon (HU), Big City Lab (UA), Do architects
Collaboration: Ministry of Education in Ukraine, Vice-prime minister office of Ukraine, others.
Financed by: Dtek