Key facts
- Ukrainian schools commenced the academic year on September 1st amidst ongoing Russian aerial attacks.
- Air raid sirens forced students into underground shelters during the first day of classes.
- Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian students are expected to utilize hybrid or remote learning models.
- Despite disruptions, Kyiv authorities reported nearly 94% attendance for first-year students.
- Some schools were forced to conduct their opening ceremonies and lessons entirely online.
Thousands of Ukrainian children marked the start of the new school year on September 1st, but the traditional 'first bell' ceremonies were overshadowed by ongoing Russian aerial attacks. In Kyiv, students were forced into underground shelters as air raid sirens sounded repeatedly throughout the day, disrupting lessons and the start of the academic year.
Nataliia Maievska, director of Lyceum No. 257, described the day as bittersweet, noting that the experience would be memorable for the young students, but not in the way intended. The lyceum welcomed 88 new first-graders, adding to its student body of around 1200.
As students settled into their first lessons, air raid sirens interrupted, prompting children to calmly move to underground shelters. Kyiv authorities had previously announced that a hybrid learning format might be necessary for safety, with schools prepared for scenarios ranging from shelter-based classes to fully remote instruction. Maievska highlighted the difficulty of providing a full educational experience in a shelter, despite its capacity to hold all students and staff, due to space limitations for desks and boards.
Iryna Borzova, a member of the Ukrainian parliament's Youth and Sport Committee, reported a 10% decrease in enrolled first-graders compared to the previous year. She indicated that while 2.2 million students are expected to attend in person, up to 800,000 might adopt a hybrid model, and approximately 200,000, primarily in front-line regions, will study entirely remotely.
First-grade teacher Olena shared her experience of keeping children safe in a shelter during their first class. Despite the challenges, Kyiv authorities estimated that nearly 94% of first-year students attended school. Across the city, 412 schools opened their doors, though 11 had to begin the year fully online. The ongoing war, now entering its fifth year, continues to force Ukrainians to adapt their daily lives, with a resolve to continue studying and working.