Taking into account the annual decline in the number of school graduates, there should be a reduction in the number or consolidation of higher education institutions, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Mykhailo Vinnytskyi said in an interview with The Ukrainians.

"A draft law on the prerequisites for modernizing the network of higher education institutions has already been developed. In fact, this is a bill not only to reduce the number of universities but also to improve their quality," said Vinnytskyi.

The deputy minister said that this year there were about 360 thousand school graduates in Ukraine, while in 2008 this number reached 640 thousand.

"Further forecasts are also disappointing. Based only on demography, which does not take into account the war-related migration, we see a steady decline in the number of people born in Ukraine 17 years ago. By 2033, we will have approximately 300,000 graduates - and this figure assumes the return of the territories not yet controlled by Ukraine," he added.

As for universities, he said that in 2008 there were approximately 350 educational institutions in Ukraine, with an average of 6,700 students. At the same time, in 2021, the total number of institutions decreased to 300, but on average, each of them had only 3.4 thousand students.

"Given this data, one way or another, some reduction or consolidation of higher education institutions must take place, but it is an extremely painful process. We are trying to do it smoothly, without creating unnecessary social tension," Vinnytskyi said.

According to him, today in Ukraine, in addition to 100 private higher education institutions and 40 municipal ones, there are about 170 state universities, and this does not include branches, and as a result of the reform, about 100 should remain.