First day of school in Ukraine marred by attacks

KYIV, 2 September 2024—The start of the new school year in Ukraine was marred by deadly and destructive attacks, further impacting learning for children in the country. 

In Kyiv, schools were reportedly damaged as children woke up to loud explosions in the early morning hours of Monday. 

On the eve of the first day of school, educational facilities were reportedly damaged in the Kherson region and in the city of Sumy, where six children were injured according to local authorities. This comes after successive deadly attacks in the city of Kharkiv on 30 August and 1 September, where one child was killed, and 29 children were injured according to latest reports.

Since the escalation of the war in February 2022, more than 2,180 children have been killed or injured, and more than 1,300 educational facilities in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed. As these are UN-verified numbers, the true numbers are likely higher. 

“The war is robbing children in Ukraine of their childhoods. It is robbing them of their right to quality education. To prevent further learning loss, children in Ukraine must be supported to ensure that they can continue learning safely, whether in person or online,” said John Marks, Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Ukraine. 

Children in Ukraine are entering a fifth year of disrupted education, with the escalation of the war now in its third year following the COVID-19 pandemic. Children across Ukraine are showing signs of widespread learning loss. Data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) conducted in Ukraine in 2022 and released in late 2023, show that the scale of learning gaps seen in 2022 compared to 2018 is equivalent to two years of loss in reading and one year of loss in math. 

Children and families in front-line areas in Donetsk and Sumy regions are being displaced amid intensified hostilities. As of 31 August 2024, local authorities in the Donetsk region reported evacuating 3,500 civilians, including 400 children, daily. An increase in evacuations from the border area in Sumy region was also reported. With the evacuations continuing through the first week of school, children on the move could be missing school days or online lessons as they seek safety in other parts of Ukraine.

Constant air raid alarms force children to move to shelters, disrupting their classes and their sleep. Attacks impact the electricity supply in the country, causing power outages that disrupt classes in schools and access to online learning.

According to data from the Ministry of Education and Science, as of May 2024, around 4.6 million children in Ukraine face barriers to education—including about 2 million who are directly affected by school and kindergarten closures. Most schools in the Eastern regions close to areas with active fighting have remained closed. 

The new “School Offline” strategy of the Ukrainian Government aims to return around 350,000 children to in-person and blended learning where it is possible and safe to do so. For areas where this is not possible, the strategy aims to improve the quality of distance learning. 

UNICEF is helping ensure children in Ukraine can access formal and non-formal education, including early learning, by supporting the rehabilitation of shelters in schools and kindergartens, providing learning supplies and equipment, conducting catch-up classes, establishing digital learning centres, and equipping teachers with skills to provide mental health and psychosocial support to their students.

“The killing and maiming of children, and attacks on schools are grave violations of children’s rights. Children’s right to education needs to be protected. As the war continues, they need safe learning environments where they can interact and develop with their peers. Ultimately, children in Ukraine need an end to the war, so they can enjoy being children again,” said Marks.