Nearly 4,000 schoolchildren from frontline regions returned to in-person study in Sept - Education Ministry
In September, nearly 4,000 schoolchildren from frontline regions returned to in-person learning following the opening of new underground schools, according to the Ministry of Education and Science.
"Thousands of children from frontline regions cannot attend school due to constant shelling. But the state, together with local authorities and international partners, is doing everything possible to create safe conditions for in-person education. In September, nearly 4,000 schoolchildren from frontline regions already returned to in-person learning," the ministry said.
It is noted that new underground schools have opened in Kherson, Zaporizhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions. These are modern educational spaces built deep underground, where children can study safely, even in communities near the front lines.
In particular, in Kherson region, two underground schools have been opened in Vysokopillia and Orlove, with a capacity of over 900 students; in Zaporizhia region, three schools have been opened in Vilnianska, Belenkivska, and Semenenkivska communities, with a capacity of over 1,800 students; and in Kryvyi Rih, three schools have been opened with a capacity of over 1,200 students.
The ministry added that the repairs and construction of shelters are being carried out by territorial communities, which contributes to the financing of the general fund of the state budget in conjunction with the World Bank's Lifting Education Access and Resilience in Times of Need (LEARN) program.
At the end of August, the Ministry of Education reported that 221 underground schools were under construction in Ukraine, 33 of which were scheduled to open on September 1, and another 156 facilities are expected to be completed by the end of the year, allowing more than 100,000 children to return to school.