The phrase “integrity in schools” sounds abstract until you start asking concrete questions. What do you do when parents make a project instead of the child? How do you react when a student submits an essay generated by AI? What do you say to a colleague who bought a professional development certificate? How to resist “adjusting” grades for the sake of a “nice-looking diploma”?
On July 22, we invited 12 teachers from different regions of Ukraine — from villages to major cities, from primary school to senior classes — to talk about integrity in the language of everyday classroom practice, not the language of regulatory documents.
A professional facilitator, Dmytro Yakymets, worked with the teachers unpacking 7 clusters of real challenges, from shadow tutoring to parental pressure in Viber chats, and to develop solutions that a teacher can apply without anyone’s approval. Ivanna Kobernyk, co-founder of the NGO Smart Osvita, inspired teachers to be examples for their students and drivers of changes.
At the end of the day, the participants together formulated the Manifest of the “Teacher of Integrity” — a portrait of an educator for whom integrity is not a declaration, but daily work. The session was inspired by the “Teacher of Integrity” nomination of the Global Teacher Prize Ukraine.
The principles of integrity in society are formed through upbringing and education. The EU Anti-Corruption Initiative has identified this area as one of its priorities.
We thank all the participants who joined the event, and all the teachers who already foster integrity in their schools!
