About two-thirds of children in frontline regions of Ukraine cannot attend school in person but rely on remote learning that is plagued by challenges from the ongoing war, according to Save the Children’s latest research.
While children across Ukraine are learning remotely, authorities in the East and North of the country (e.g. Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Chernihiv) rely on remote learning more heavily due to their proximity to front lines or to the border with the Russian Federation. Children in these regions face the challenges – and the risk of exposure to conflict – far higher than those in other regions. Despite safety concerns, survey respondents strongly preferred in-person education, stressing the importance of engagement with teachers and peer interaction.
The aid agency’s new report ‘I Want a Peaceful Sky: Education and Children’s Wellbeing in Wartime Ukraine’ says that 79% of respondents cited poor internet connection as a major obstacle. It said that 42% reported a lack of hardware devices. Nearly 40% mentioned electricity shortages as a significant barrier, an indication of the impact of the Russian Federation’s attacks on energy infrastructure on the education of children in the country.
The research covered six frontline regions—Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and Mykolaiv. Of the 334 children surveyed, 221 (64%) reported that they can only participate in online classes, while 15% attend school in person, and 17% use a combination of both. In these regions, approximately 973,000 children are enrolled in local schools, but many face significant barriers to learning.
IMPACT OF SCHOOL CLOSURES
Due to the risk of air strikes and shelling, schools in frontline regions remain closed. Thousands of educational institutions across Ukraine also remain shut due to a lack of protective shelters. Nearly 1.9 million school-aged children in Ukraine rely on remote education, either fully or part-time, as reported by the Ministry of Education.
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS DAMAGED OR DESTROYED
The war has damaged over 3,000 educational institutions and destroyed more than 300, representing over 10% of Ukraine’s schools. In heavily affected regions like Kharkiv and Donetsk, more than 90% of families reported that their schools had been damaged.
SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS AND SUPPORT
Over half of surveyed families (57%) reported a lack of face-to-face interaction with teachers. Additionally, more than 43,000 teachers, about 10% of Ukraine’s total workforce, are displaced either internally or abroad. Many teachers balance their roles with humanitarian work.
Sonia Khush, Country Director for Save the Children in Ukraine, emphasizes: “Education is not just about learning; it’s crucial for socialization. After more than two years of war, many children have never been in a classroom. The resilience shown by children, parents, and teachers is remarkable.”
PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT
Nine out of ten school-aged children surveyed are experiencing at least one or more psychological effects of ongoing conflict. More specifically,
• 73% of surveyed children feel unsafe or fearful,
• 64% have lost interest in learning, and
• 54% experience sadness and low self-esteem.
In addition, only 19% of those surveyed said that mental health support services were available: the higher percentage of respondents whose children attend school in person (26%) and said these services were available suggests that children who attend school are more likely to be able to access them.
CALL FOR ACTION
Save the Children urges adherence to international humanitarian and human rights laws to protect civilian objects, including schools. Continued support from governments, donors, and the international community is essential to mitigate the war’s impact on education.
Since 2014, Save the Children has been working in Ukraine, scaling up operations since February 2022. The organization has established around 90 Digital Learning Centres, funded rehabilitation of 70 schools and kindergartens, and provided laptops and tablets to regions where schools remain closed.
