Ukrainian schools without medals: the end of inequality or the decline in children’s motivation

Graduation evenings without gold and silver medals are now the new reality of Ukrainian schools. The traditional system of encouraging the most successful students will no longer work, and although it looks like a revolutionary step for many, the idea itself causes controversial reactions. Proponents of the change argue that eliminating the medals would save the state money, overcome formality and showy competition, and rid the school system of subjective evaluations and inequity. Instead, opponents see it as a rejection of the encouragement of academic diligence, because medals have been an incentive for excellent students and a kind of symbol of achievement for decades. Will this decision really bring the school system closer to objectivity? Or, on the contrary, will it demotivate those who strive to be the best?

Another innovation from the Ministry of Education and Culture

For many graduates, a gold or silver medal is not just a piece of metal, but a symbol of years of hard work, sleepless nights before tests and exams. She is like a ticket to the world of excellent students, a sign that all those written-off notebooks and nerves made sense. Someone saw in her a chance to stand out among his peers, for someone it was a way to prove to himself what he was capable of. And now, with the light hand of officials, this symbol of perseverance in education has been canceled by order of the Ministry of Education and Culture No. 1771 dated 12.20.2024.  Now there will be only certificates of education with the note “with honors”.

The decision to cancel gold and silver medals in schools did not just cause a discussion in society, it became a marker of how the authorities perceive today’s youth and their needs. At a time when children are living under constant stress, learning to the sound of sirens, trying to build a future amidst uncertainty and rubble, one of the few forms of official recognition of their achievements has been taken away from them.

The official explanation for the cancellation of medals is the desire to ensure equal opportunities for all students and to avoid subjectivity in evaluation. But there are doubts whether the Ministry of Education and Science is really concerned about this. After all, if the problem is injustice, then why not solve it by revising the evaluation system. But MES specialists, as usual, followed the path of neglecting the interests of students and simply took away the award. No one asked the teachers about the feasibility of such a step, although many from the grassroots support this initiative.

Instead, Ukrainian realities show a completely different picture for officials. They are not ashamed to raise their salaries, invent new awards and honors. It turns out that medals for schoolchildren have become superfluous in the fight for equality, but bonuses for civil servants and state awards are not canceled for the sake of such “justice”.

But, in fact, the problem is much more serious than it might seem at first glance. Lack of motivation already has a negative impact on learning. Because of the war, children are forced to grow up too quickly, they are often in a state of anxiety, and the education system does not offer them any tools for self-realization. Now that even excellent students will not receive official recognition for their efforts, many will lose the desire to study hard.

Education has been in need of quality changes for a long time, but instead of making it more modern, accessible and fair, decisions are made that only demotivate students. If the authorities really want equality, let them start with themselves. And children should not be punished for their successes, but supported, especially in such a difficult time.

But, as officials of the Ministry of Education and Culture note, the cancellation of medals was not an accidental decision. Over the past six years, the number of awardees has increased by more than 140%. But such a result did not correspond to the real level of knowledge. It is no secret that distance learning, introduced in 2020, and then a full-scale invasion, significantly affected the quality of education. As a result, medals have become more of a formality than a well-deserved award for effort. Also, the Ministry of Education and Culture notes that significant budgetary costs were spent on the production of medals – more than 5 million hryvnias in three years. However, there is little practical benefit from the award, because universities almost do not take it into account for admission. In fact, the medal has become a symbolic status attribute that does not always reflect real academic achievements.

School medals: how it all began and what it led to

Awarding graduates with gold and silver medals in Ukrainian schools is a tradition that has come a long way. It was born back in the Russian Empire, survived the Soviet era, was transformed in independent Ukraine, and eventually came to be abolished.

The system of medals for graduates was introduced in 1828 in the Russian Empire. At that time, only the best students of gymnasiums — educational institutions for the children of nobles and elites — received honors. The goal was to emphasize the special status of mentally gifted and hardworking young people.

In the Soviet Union, this system received a new life. Since 1945, gold and silver medals have been handed out en masse to school graduates. The Soviet authorities actively used the idea of ​​”best students” to create the image of an exemplary citizen. Medalists received preferences when entering higher educational institutions, which motivated schoolchildren to high achievements.

After 1991, the tradition was preserved, but gradually its importance decreased. If earlier the medal guaranteed advantages during admission to universities, then with the appearance of external examinations, this system became less relevant. Excellent students continued to receive honors, but without real privileges.

Over time, more and more began to think about the justice of this tradition. In some schools, scandals even broke out due to the subjectivity of the evaluation, because the decision on awards was made by the administration, and not by an independent commission. In addition, critics noted that school medals lost their practical value a long time ago, because they did not affect the graduate’s future prospects.

And now the Ministry of Education and Culture has decided to cancel the medals. But many did not perceive it as a step towards justice, but as another loss for modern schoolchildren, who already live in difficult conditions. Social networks are overflowing with comments, people do not understand why the state does not have money for children, but there is money for officials. Many people express the opinion that with such a trend, soon there will not be enough money even for red paint to mark “with honors” in the school graduation certificate.

Over two centuries, the medals went from being a privilege of the elite to a Soviet system of motivation, and then to a symbolic status in independent Ukraine. Now the very motivation of children is under threat, because there is no longer even official recognition of their efforts.

How graduates are awarded in the world: an alternative to medals

Ukraine has decided to say goodbye to the tradition of school medals, arguing that it is a struggle for justice. But if you look at the world experience, it becomes clear: honors for graduates exist almost everywhere, but in different forms. Because the recognition of achievements in education is not a manifestation of inequality, but, on the contrary, a common practice that motivates young people.

No one gives out medals in American schools, but they have their own honors system. The most prestigious graduates receive the following titles:

• Valedictorian is the student with the highest grade point average in the class who gives the graduation speech;
• The Salutatorian is the second-highest graduating senior who also has the honor of addressing the school.

In addition, there is a system of Latin Honors (Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude), which is used in schools and universities to reward excellent students. And there are numerous awards and grants for academic and extracurricular achievements.

In Germany, there are no medals, but there is an Abiturzeugnis, a certificate where the average score decides everything. Those who get the highest marks receive special awards, certificates and even cash prizes. The graduation score is critically important here, because it directly affects admission to higher education. The best students can be invited to elite programs without additional exams.

French schoolchildren do not wear medals, but for them the main goal is to pass the baccalauréat (an analogue of our VET). If the graduate receives a high score, he receives a special distinction “mention” (from the French “praise”). And these are not just marks in the certificate. Such honors help to get scholarships and make it easier to enter universities.

The British don’t hand out medals, but each graduate gets grades called A-levels. Students who pass their A-level exams can automatically get into top universities. In addition, the best graduates can receive the Headmaster’s Award, and some schools present special cups for academic success.

In Japan, South Korea and China, education is taken seriously. There are no medals, but there are rankings of graduates. Pupils with the best results receive certificates of honor and even monetary bonuses. In South Korea, graduates with top scores can enter prestigious universities without additional entrance exams.

As you can see, foreign countries do not abandon the idea of ​​celebrating the best students. All countries have systems of encouraging children, and it works successfully. In Ukraine, they simply decided to cancel the medals without creating an alternative. This will definitely not add to equality, but will destroy the motivation to learn.

Obviously, the disappearance of medals is unlikely to be a disaster for education, nor will it automatically make it fairer. The high achievers will still be the ones who are used to working, and those who only chased the glitter of the award will simply find other ways to stand out. The main question is not about medals, but whether education will become more qualitative and evaluation more objective. If not, then no reforms will save from the situation when an “excellent” certificate does not mean deep knowledge, and teachers are forced to give high marks not for knowledge, but “so as not to offend”.