How EdTech Solutions Transformed Education in Estonia and What Is Slowing Down Digitalization in Ukraine’s Education System
The digitalization of education in Ukraine remains one of the key challenges for schools, the government, and EdTech companies. What is actually slowing down the digital transformation of education in Ukraine: lack of funding, legislative barriers, or something else? And how can technology in schools genuinely support education instead of creating additional pressure?
These questions were discussed during the event “EdTech × Government: Collaboration, Public Sector, and B2G Models”, organized by Civitta together with the EdTech Ukraine and EdTech Estonia Associations as part of the project on research and development of the EdTech ecosystem in Ukraine.
Barriers Digitalization of Education
The biggest barrier is administrative fear and digital fatigue. Contrary to popular belief, schools are allowed to purchase digital educational resources using public funds – there is no direct legal prohibition. However, in practice, school principals often avoid such solutions due to fear of inspections and the lack of clear regulations.
In addition, according to Tetiana Dalevska, Deputy Director General of the Directorate for Digital Transformation at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, teachers are currently working under conditions of overload, and any new solution is automatically perceived as additional work:
“Add the fear of making mistakes to this, and we get a situation where even useful solutions are not implemented. That is why EdTech companies need to create digital tools – and the government needs to establish rules for their use – that do not complicate teachers’ work, but instead reduce routine tasks, save time, and create more space for learning. If technology does not make teachers’ lives easier, it will not work within the system.”
This is why the main criterion for EdTech companies should not be innovation itself, but the practical value of their products.
Another obstacle to the digitalization of education is the absence of a “quality mark”. Schools often do not understand which products are safe, effective, and pedagogically appropriate, and therefore hesitate to procure them.
One possible solution is the localization of the international EdTech for Good concept – an approach that involves creating a national framework for verifying digital solutions according to clear criteria: data security, ethics, pedagogical relevance, and positive educational impact. The result would be a catalog of verified products that schools could use confidently, without fear of inspections and with tangible benefits for education quality.
The “Buy, Not Build” Principle
In the process of developing Ukraine’s EdTech sector, the government often combines several roles – regulator, customer, and even developer, which creates tension with the market. An important shift in approach is moving from competition toward collaboration.
“The role of the government in EdTech development is not to create its own products, but to build an environment where high-quality solutions can emerge, be tested, and scale. We need clear rules of the game, transparent mechanisms for piloting and procurement. When the government acts as a partner and customer rather than a competitor, everyone benefits: businesses, schools, and most importantly, the quality of education. The system adopts solutions that truly work and deliver results in classrooms”, says
Tetiana Kravchuk
This approach would allow for more efficient use of resources, support the growth of Ukrainian EdTech companies, and strengthen their position in the global market. The export of educational technologies could also contribute to Ukraine’s economy.
Estonia’s Experience
Estonia – one of the global leaders in educational digitalization, that can serve as a role model for Ukraine. The country actively integrates technology into education, creating an effective e-education system that delivers strong learning outcomes. Estonian students consistently achieve some of the best results in Europe and worldwide in science, reading, and mathematics.
Starting from September 2025, within the AI Leap initiative, students and teachers in Estonia have been receiving personal AI accounts, while smartphones are being used as complete learning tools. Estonia has been moving toward this model for the past two decades, explained Liis Siroja, Director and Member of the Board of the EdTech Estonia Association.
However, the key lies not in technology itself, but in the model of cooperation:
“We deliberately moved away from a model where companies simply sell products to the government and transitioned to a partnership model where businesses, government institutions, and schools jointly solve specific educational challenges. This means constant dialogue, joint pilots, aligned planning, and trust among all parties. This is how a system is built where digital solutions become a natural part of the learning process – and this is something that could be highly valuable for Ukraine.”
Liis Siroja
Where Ukraine Is Heading
The EdTech Ukraine Association, together with its partners – Civitta and the Association EdTech Estonia – are implementing a project focused on researching and developing Ukraine’s EdTech ecosystem.
The goal of the project is to shape a strategic vision for the development of EdTech in Ukraine by 2030.
According to Nataliia Lymonova, Chair of the Board of EdTech Ukraine Association and founder of GIOS, this is a critical moment for the sector:
“It is important that this strategy contains not only general visions, but also concrete mechanisms: how procurement works, how EdTech solutions are verified, and how cooperation between the government and businesses is built. We are discussing the launch of a national catalog of verified products with clear criteria, as well as new funding models where teachers themselves choose educational tools. If these elements are designed properly, Ukraine will be able to build a national EdTech ecosystem with global potential.”
Nataliia Lymonova
The event took place within the framework of the Ukrainian EdTech Ecosystem Development Program.
The project on research and development of the EdTech ecosystem in Ukraine, initiated by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, is funded by the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) and implemented by Civitta together with the EdTech Ukraine and EdTech Estonia Associations.
