15 June 2026
(PHOTO COLLAGE: Intent)
Ruslan Pitak, head of the Podilskyi District Military Administration in the Odesa region, accused members of the Lyubashivka Village Council of refusing to implement the state program to streamline educational institutions.
According to the head of the district administration, 10 deputies abstained during the vote on closing the Pokrivska Gymnasium, and the decision was not adopted.
Ruslan Pitak stated that only 52 students attend the school, yet teachers receive the same salaries as those at larger schools; however, due to the need to allocate funds to the Pokrivska Gymnasium, other teachers will not receive bonuses or salaries. He also announced the names of the deputies who did not vote for the closure. According to Ruslan Pitak, closing the school would free up over 5 million hryvnias.
"If we look at this school’s performance, it’s not Oxford or Cambridge. The school’s National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT) results are mediocre. If deputies think we can wait until 2027 and then optimize something, that’s not the case. Starting September 1, the state will stop funding this school, and you will be paying not 2.5 million, but 5 million," noted the head of the Regional State Administration.
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VIDEO: Ruslan Pitak
In contrast, the parents’ committee of the Pokrivska Gymnasium reacted skeptically to Ruslan Pitak’s accusations. First, according to the parents, Ruslan Pitak is trying to pressure lawmakers by naming those who did not vote. Second, the parents raised practical concerns: where will the teachers currently working at the gymnasium be employed, what will happen to the children who will have to be transported to another town and another school, and who will be responsible for the children during the trip.
If a child becomes ill, who will take them home and how, if the parents are unable to immediately travel to another town? After all, not every family in the village has their own transportation. Are there safety plans in place for transporting children during the winter, in bad weather, or during air raid alerts? Has an analysis been conducted on how changing schools will affect the children’s academic performance, adaptation, and psychological well-being? Can parents review all the financial calculations on which the proposal to close the school is based? We hear a lot of talk about millions of hryvnias. But so far, we haven’t heard an answer to the main question: how will it be ensured that the rights, safety, and interests of every child will not be compromised after the school’s closure?
Parent Committee
Oleg Zhirun, the former secretary of the Savran Village Council who had been leading the community as acting chairman since the summer of 2024, has resigned. As Ruslan Pitak, head of the Podilsk District Administration, hinted during the session,Oleg Zhirun’sresignation is linked to a conflict between the administration and the deputies.
Ruslan Pitak was appointed acting head of the Podilsk District State Administration in Odesa Oblast on April 7; prior to that, he served as first deputy head of the Odesa District State Administration.
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