Expert: 57 thousand children under occupation studied in Ukrainian educational institutions last year

Draft Order No. 850 from the Ministry of Education and Science sparked outrage among the educational and parental communities due to the potential return of all children to full-time education. Although this document was revoked, a similar one, No. 1112, followed. While it doesn’t introduce significant changes for the current academic year, some will take effect as early as 2025.

Yaroslava Mozgova, an educational expert and analyst at the Solomiansky Kotyky charity foundation, discussed the situation with education in more detail on Hromadske Radio.

“We have internally displaced children living in all regions of Ukraine. One of the ministry’s positions is that children in safer regions—such as Chernivtsi, Cherkasy, and Lviv—should not study remotely, but instead return to their local educational institutions», — she explained.

Mozgova supports this initiative because, in her view, «face-to-face learning is more effective.»

“We are talking about a vulnerable group of children, some of whom haven’t studied in person since 2022. In regions like Kharkiv, some haven’t attended in-person classes since 2020. This impacts both academic performance and social development, even if the quality of online education is high.»

However, it’s noted that not all communities have the capacity to accommodate all students due to overcrowding. For instance, finding a school place in Kyiv or Lviv is described as a «starred» task. Both versions of the order permit children to avoid attending school in person if no spots are available.

Some families remain in frontline areas or temporarily occupied territories, where distance learning is their only connection to education. Meeting academic goals and delivering the curriculum is only possible with dedicated teaching and the diligent participation of students.

According to Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, 57,000 children from temporarily occupied territories studied remotely in Ukrainian schools this year.

“For me, the number of institutions is abstract. But the figure of 57,000 children is very encouraging. While it’s a small proportion of the total number of children in occupied areas, these 57,000 children, or at least their families, have consciously chosen Ukraine», — she noted.

When asked if the needs of children in temporarily occupied territories are being considered, the expert affirmed:

“It’s a complex issue and subjective since I’m speaking from personal experience. If children are working with teachers skilled in remote technologies and capable of providing individualized learning, then, in some ways, we are infringing on their right to quality education.»

She also acknowledged that some of the 57,000 children listed may not actually be studying. Instead, they are enrolled in Ukrainian institutions to support their teachers and schools:

“Researchers have found instances where teachers encourage children not to drop out in order to preserve the school network, maintain jobs, and keep institutions functioning.»

Mozgova concluded that the patronage system proposed in Orders No. 850 and No. 1112 is a valuable approach.

“It seems to me there is nothing better than having someone guide you through the curriculum according to your needs. However, we lack the number of specialists required to implement the patronage system, and the budget likely doesn’t cover the costs for this.»