Will Education Change the Future of Ukraine?

Taras Tarasenko, Member of the Parliament of Ukraine, Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Social Policy and Protection of Veterans’ Rights

The Fifth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, held in Kyiv in September 2025, was dedicated to the theme “Education Shaping the World.” The initiator of the summit, First Lady Olena Zelenska, emphasized that the topic of education is relevant to everyone today, as quality education fosters critical thinking and serves as an “antidote to fakes, manipulation, and propaganda.” In her speech, Zelenska particularly highlighted the challenges faced by Ukrainian education in wartime conditions: “Ukrainians –  especially teachers and parents—understand the true value of education better than anyone right now. Under Russian aggression, learning has become a challenge for students and a daily test for teachers. But we will not give up on education, because it is what connects the present with the future,” – ‘ said the First Lady.

These words reflect the resilience of Ukrainian society, which, despite the war, strives to preserve its education system.

The summit gathered representatives from more than 40 countries – First Ladies, Ministers of Education, experts, teachers – to discuss how education shapes the world and how knowledge can prevent conflicts and build trust between nations. Special guests included teachers from various countries invited to share their experiences, as well as Nobel Prize laureates and representatives of technology companies. Thus, on the global stage, Ukraine drew attention to issues that matter not only to itself but to the whole world: accessibility and quality of education, innovation, the prestige of the teaching profession, and more.

Education in Wartime: Destruction, Remote Learning, and New Realities

Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has caused unprecedented losses for educational infrastructure and school demographics. According to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, more than 3,800 educational institutions have been damaged by hostilities, 365 of which have been completely destroyed. In fact, every seventh school in the country has suffered from shelling or bombing. The situation is particularly dire in frontline regions, where many schools in the east and south were forced to switch entirely to remote learning for safety reasons. At the beginning of the new academic year, most schools in relatively safe regions resumed in-person learning, provided shelters were available.

Remote learning during the war became the new normal, but it also brought its own challenges. In September 2024, around 600,000 students across Ukraine studied exclusively online. Even outside active combat zones, classes were regularly interrupted by air raid sirens, forcing students and teachers to take shelter. The winter months of 2022–2023 added another challenge—power outages due to attacks on the energy grid, which complicated online learning. Despite efforts to ensure quality distance education, all this negatively affects both accessibility and quality. According to UNICEF, the average “learning loss” among Ukrainian students during the war amounts to about two years in certain subjects—meaning children are learning less than they would in peacetime. This is a troubling signal of an entire generation falling behind because of the war.

Destruction of schools and danger also forced millions of Ukrainians to leave their homes, directly affecting education statistics. Due to massive internal and external migration, the number of schoolchildren in the system decreased to 3.74 million (as of the beginning of the 2024/25 academic year) – the lowest in 30 years. About 1.4 million school-age children went abroad after the invasion began. Some continue studying remotely under the Ukrainian curriculum: at least 345,000 children (9.3% of all schoolchildren) remain enrolled in Ukrainian schools while abroad. However, these are only those officially maintaining ties with Ukrainian schools. According to UNESCO, as of 2024 almost 665,000 Ukrainian students were attending schools abroad, with only 29% attempting to combine studies in both countries, and 16% enrolled solely in Ukrainian online schools. Yet the loss of educational infrastructure is not only about destroyed buildings – it is also about shattered dreams and disrupted plans of Ukrainian children.

The Psychological Front: Children Under the Weight of Trauma

The war strikes not only at the material foundations of education but also at the mental health of its participants – especially children. Prolonged life under shelling and in shelters has left a heavy mark on the emotional state of Ukrainian students. Children have lost their sense of safety, experiencing traumatic events that not every adult could endure. According to UNICEF, every fifth child in Ukraine has lost a close relative or friend because of the war, and every third reports feelings of such deep sadness and hopelessness that it interferes with daily life. These stark figures from a survey of over 23,000 Ukrainian children (conducted in the third year of full-scale war) illustrate the scale of generational trauma. Nearly 10% of war-affected children are expected to develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) over time, and another 10% will face severe psychological or behavioral issues complicating their socialization. The most common outcomes, specialists say, include anxiety disorders, depression, and psychosomatic symptoms.

Specialists note a wide range of problems among children of different ages. For younger pupils and preschoolers, the war manifests in nightmares, fear of loud noises, and behavioral regression – for example, children once again asking to be carried, or struggling with sleep and speech. School-aged children often suffer from chronic fatigue and inattentiveness: they find it difficult to focus on learning, many appear apathetic or, conversely, hyperactive, and psychosomatic complaints (headaches, stomachaches) are common without medical causes. Teenagers frequently fall into extremes – from aggressive, risk-taking behavior (ignoring rules, running away from home) to emotional “burnout” and withdrawal, losing interest in studies and communication. Psychologists describe these reactions as natural responses to abnormal circumstances: children adapt as best they can to a threatening environment. In fact, every Ukrainian child has lost part of their childhood – the carefree years meant for play and discovery, not basements and sirens.

Particular attention must be given to children who lived through occupation or direct military aggression. For them, traumatic factors multiply: threats to life, family separation, forced evacuation, and living in foreign environments. The war has deprived many children of basic resources (home, school, healthcare) and normal family warmth.

Thus, the state faces the urgent task of preserving the mental health of an entire generation. “Stabilizing the emotional state of children during war is not merely a psychological challenge but a national priority,” Ukrainian experts note. Accordingly, schools are introducing psychosocial support programs: school psychologists, art therapy clubs, resilience training sessions.

This work must continue, since the consequences of trauma may surface for years after the fighting ends. Yet researchers emphasize that children possess great resilience potential and can grow into full-fledged personalities despite hardship, provided they receive proper support.

Teachers on the Edge: Salaries, Professional Prestige, outflow of personnel

When we speak of heroes on the educational front, we mean not only children but also their teachers. Ukrainian educators have been working under extremely difficult conditions for over two years: some teach from bomb shelters, others simultaneously conduct classes for students in different countries, and many themselves have experienced displacement or loss of home. Yet teachers’ problems are not only war-related but also long-standing “chronic illnesses” of Ukraine’s education system, which the war has only aggravated: low pay, declining prestige of the profession, and an aging workforce.

Teachers’ salaries in Ukraine have traditionally been among the lowest compared to other university-educated professionals.

The State Statistics Service recorded that in the 4th quarter of 2024, the average salary of educators was UAH 16,479

State Statistics Service recorded that in the 4th quarter of 2024, the average teacher salary was UAH 16,479, compared to the national average of UAH 26,500. Young specialists often earn little above minimum wage – around UAH 8,000 – 9,000 net. Despite legal provisions that teachers’ base salaries should be triple the minimum wage, in reality, this standard is not upheld. Parliamentary hearings have highlighted outrageous cases where teachers, after tax deductions, received only UAH 6,800 take-home pay. Unsurprisingly, many educators are considering leaving the profession. Surveys by the Ministry of Education show that nearly 50% of Ukrainian teachers are thinking about quitting school work. This is an alarming signal: the sector risks losing a large portion of its workforce, not only due to emigration or retirement but also due to financial hardship and disillusionment.

The government acknowledges the problem. Minister of Education Oksen Lisovyi calls the situation with teachers’ pay “critical.” Since spring 2023, Ukraine has implemented a teacher incentive program: funds have been allocated for a so-called “teacher’s bonus” – a monthly salary supplement. As of January 2025, the government raised this supplement to UAH 2,000 per month for all school staff. From September 1, 2025, these payments will increase to UAH 2,600 monthly. While a step in the right direction, this is still modest compared to teachers’ real needs. Meanwhile, other measures are being sought: reforming the pay scale, and introducing local bonuses funded by municipalities. For instance, in preschool education, local authorities can independently set allowances for educators, and vocational schools now enjoy financial autonomy to manage payroll. These efforts are meant to ease pressure on the wartime state budget while preventing mass teacher attrition.

The issue of “professional prestige” goes beyond Ukraine and is a global trend. Fewer young people are choosing teaching careers worldwide, leading to an aging workforce. “Unfortunately, teachers’ salaries are average or below average not only here. There is a global trend of declining prestige and undervaluation of teaching,” Minister Lisovyi noted at a summit press conference. In Ukraine, the war has further exacerbated this: some young specialists were mobilized, others emigrated, and universities now graduate fewer teachers due to demographic decline. Schools already face staff shortages, especially in STEM and foreign languages.

Tellingly, in his September 2025 parliamentary report, the Minister of Education listed many issues (from the start of the academic year to destroyed schools) but did not once mention low salaries directly. Yet it is precisely teacher pay that provokes the most concern, as confirmed by research.

Ukrainian Realities Through the Lens of the Summit Special Study

The Fifth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv only set the tone for discussion – the data speaks for itself. An international study conducted for the Summit across 14 countries among students, teachers, and parents views education not simply as “lessons and textbooks” but as a strategic resource for building human capital, social trust, and a culture of peace. Respondents in all surveyed countries – including Ukraine – share this view.

For the future, Ukrainians rank critical thinking as the most important skill (54% of respondents). At the same time, Ukraine stands out for placing teamwork in second place (40 – 41%). By contrast, Finland and Estonia emphasize resilience (42%), while Lithuania and Denmark focus more on creativity and innovation (44%).

The teacher’s role is expanding everywhere: not only a transmitter of knowledge but also a moral authority and mentor. Yet the study reveals “mood gaps”: in 2025 teachers report higher motivation and confidence, but also rising anxiety, while students more often complain of boredom – a direct risk of teacher burnout and student disengagement.

Meanwhile, digital literacy is now considered baseline: 22% of students and 24% of teachers report frequent use of AI in learning and work. This confirms the trend that digital tools must be fully integrated into education.

Importantly, the study surveyed the “triangle” of students–teachers–parents (about 200 students aged 15–17, 100 teachers, and 100 parents per country), allowing for comparison of expectations and perceptions. The top functions of education are preparation for independent life and future employment. Yet only 26% of students agree that school truly prepares them for independence (working and earning). This is a universal red flag, but for Ukraine – living in wartime – the “expectation gap” is especially painful.

What troubles teachers most? Survey results point again to low salaries (46%), excessive workload and fatigue (41%), and, surprisingly, lack of respect from students and parents (39%). For Ukrainian teachers, lower emotional well-being adds to this burden, explained by war. These three factors – finances, workload, and social status – combine to create a major risk of teacher attrition. The conclusion for policymakers is clear: without raising base pay, regulating workloads, and introducing professional well-being programs (mental health, mentorship, time for development), school reform will hit a ceiling.

Policy for Change: What Must Be Done Now

• Raise the prestige of the teaching profession. A minimum package should include wage indexation, transparent bonuses for class leadership/inclusion/projects, dedicated time for methodological work within paid hours, and well-being programs to reduce burnout – already a documented trend.
• Bridge the “school–life gap.” Courses in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, career planning, and soft skills must move from electives to the core of high school curricula; otherwise, the 26% figure (students feeling prepared for independent life) will remain a flashing warning sign.
• Critical thinking as practice, not a slogan. If 54% of Ukrainian respondents rank it as the top skill, this must be reflected in curricula and assessment: open-ended tasks, interdisciplinary cases, real-world problem solving.
• Smart digitalization and AI. Provide teachers and students with legal and ethical frameworks for AI use, teach source verification, copyright, and transparency of models. The starting potential is already there – 22%/24% report frequent AI use.
• Strengthen the “educational triangle.” Schools work best when expectations of parents, teachers, and students are aligned.

If we truly want an “ education shaping the world,” we must begin with the basics: pay teachers fairly, teach children to think critically and work in teams, and provide a safe, supportive environment during wartime. These steps do not require waiting for “better times”—they are the path toward them.