UNICEF delivers a further 3,600 laptops to students in Kharkiv region

15 February 2024 – In February, UNICEF provided nearly 3,600 laptops to support school-aged children in Kharkiv oblast. In 2023, over 13,700 have been delivered to the region. Due to the security situation, children in frontline regions can only continue their studies online. Access to digital devices is essential to prevent learning losses among school children who do not have opportunities for in-person studies.

The procurement and delivery of these laptops was made possible through support from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the European Union and was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine under the Device Coalition Initiative. 

These laptops are temporarily provided to children from vulnerable categories, including displaced children, children with disabilities, children from low-income families, and those deprived of parental care.

“Around 1.9 million children in Ukraine continue to be impacted by school closures due to insecurity. So their studies can continue online, and to mitigate further learning losses, it is important children have access to digital devices. In many cases, children have had to borrow their parents’ phone to attend classes,” said Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF Representative to Ukraine. “While investments in digital education are crucial, it is important to remember that online is not an equivalent substitute in-person learning. Children compelled to study online also need opportunities for face-to-face interactions and physical activities to create an optimal environment for them to learn and thrive.” 

Since the escalation of the war in February 2022, UNICEF has delivered over 64,000 individual digital devices to students and teachers across Ukraine. In 2024, some 28,300 devices will be distributed by the end of March 2024 under the Device Coalition Initiative. These significant deliveries were made possible through the generous support from the governments of Japan and the Republic of Korea, UNICEF National Committees in Germany, Finland and Japan, the Breakthrough Prize Foundation’s initiative ‘Tech for Refugees’ (USA), as well as the European Union and GPE.

"Our priority today is to restore face-to-face learning for as many children as possible. And building shelters is one way of doing this. Unfortunately, there are still some areas where it is not possible to restore fin-person learning for security reasons. Digital devices are not only needed to connect to classes or do homework, they also ensure that children can communicate with their peers, learn new things, and feel supported by their teachers. It's crucial for us to provide these opportunities, and we're grateful to our partners for doing so," said Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.

During their visit to Kharkiv, Education Minister, UNICEF Representative, head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, and the mayor of Kharkiv  also visited the Digital Learning Centre in Kharkiv, attended catch-up classes in Pisochyn, Kharkivska oblast, where children can attend catch-up classes and have access to digital devices and offline interaction with their peers.  They have discussed the current projects and strategies to prevent learning losses and support the learning and development of children and youth, as well as access to quality online education and opportunities for renewing in-person studies.

"First of all, we would like to thank the professional team at UNICEF. We can already see the results of this cooperation. We are grateful for the improvement of the material and technical base and the provision of resources for the education of our children. It's crucial to implement projects for children and youth in the Kharkiv region in order to overcome the challenges of the war," said Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration.

UNICEF continues to support the Government of Ukraine in its mission to provide access to education for all students. UNICEF promotes the development of the All-Ukrainian School Online platform and introduces teachers to the best practices and teaching techniques for online and blended learning. Moreover, UNICEF provides the necessary equipment to teachers and students through the creation of digital learning centres nationwide. The delivery of laptops is part of UNICEF's broader initiative to maintain an uninterrupted learning process in Ukraine and prevent learning losses.