n early premonition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine appeared in the form of a destroyed kindergarten. On February 17, Russian-backed separatists shelled the school located near the demarcation line in the Donbas region. The event quickly made headlines, inciting fear about a war which would come true just a week later.
That kindergarten wasn’t the first or the last affected school. Russia seeks to annihilate Ukraine, and destroying educational institutions is a key part of this objective. In the months since Russia’s invasion on February 24, more than 2,000 education institutions in Ukraine have endured shelling and bombing, with 221 being completely destroyed. Despite this destruction, however, education for Ukraine’s children continues.
Following the war’s outbreak, school districts and Ukraine’s Ministry of Education worked together to move learning online. With as many as 5 million children remaining in Ukraine and 2 million more that have fled to other countries, it hasn’t been simple or balanced. Ukrainian children and their families are displaced within Ukraine as well as across Europe and the wider world. They face difficulties from internet outages, active threats, and widespread displacement. Some students may not have basic school supplies with them such as a pencil or paper.
Teachers deal with similar obstacles. In addition to that, many teachers have stepped away from education and joined the armed forces. Those still teaching deal with more traumatic emotional environments as both they and the children they teach attempt to cope with the pain of war. Many students and teachers have also joined schools in new countries where language and cultural dissimilarities create additional barriers to learning.
Education disruptions have been the worst in eastern Ukraine where fighting has been unrelenting. Eight years of war with Russian-backed separatists in the region didn’t help, damaging and destroying more than 750 schools in the east before Russia’s February invasion. For those in occupied Ukraine, a current “Russification” of education is occurring. The internet in these areas is being routed through Russia, making Ukraine’s education initiatives inaccessible, and Ukrainian curriculums are being scrapped and replaced by those from Russian schools.
Despite these many challenges, 3.7 million Ukrainian children have been able to access online learning since initial school closures in February, even if intermittently. Ukraine has also broadcasted video lessons on state television stations to further amplify access to learning materials.
Ukraine’s education system carries on with the help of many people. Parents and community members have stepped in as educators, with many holding classes in bomb shelters or safe houses. Volunteers from abroad have hosted online language lessons, and organizations such as Teach For All have arranged virtual and in-person classes while working with mental health professionals to support teachers and students. Additionally, certain schools in other countries like Poland have formed classes with Ukrainian children and teachers where instruction follows Ukrainian curriculums and occurs in their native language.
Education continues to adapt as the war changes. Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv plans to reopen schools in September while maintaining online access for those unable to attend in person. Additional cities will likely follow suit depending on the viability. However, disruptions still run rampant—they will until the war is long over. Untraditional and online learning remains the reality for many Ukrainian students, and countless schools may never reopen as they are damaged, destroyed, or even turned into makeshift military bases or weapons storage.
In times of great crisis such as this, education is more crucial than ever. It provides students with basic necessities, a routine, and a sense of normalcy. Most importantly, it builds dreams and empowers students. Ukrainians carry on as best they can, but Russia’s war continues to strike both physically and mentally, leaving life-long wounds in the children and people it has ravaged. Education is disrupted but not gone for Ukraine’s children—what is gone is what came before: normalcy, safety, and childhood.
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Education is Disrupted but Not Gone for Ukraine’s Children
Photo by Jorge Fernández Salas via Unsplash.
August 14, 2022
In the months since Russia’s invasion on February 24, more than 2,000 education institutions in Ukraine have endured shelling and bombing, with 221 being completely destroyed. Despite this destruction, however, education for Ukraine’s children continues, writes Whitney DeVries.
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n early premonition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine appeared in the form of a destroyed kindergarten. On February 17, Russian-backed separatists shelled the school located near the demarcation line in the Donbas region. The event quickly made headlines, inciting fear about a war which would come true just a week later.
That kindergarten wasn’t the first or the last affected school. Russia seeks to annihilate Ukraine, and destroying educational institutions is a key part of this objective. In the months since Russia’s invasion on February 24, more than 2,000 education institutions in Ukraine have endured shelling and bombing, with 221 being completely destroyed. Despite this destruction, however, education for Ukraine’s children continues.
Following the war’s outbreak, school districts and Ukraine’s Ministry of Education worked together to move learning online. With as many as 5 million children remaining in Ukraine and 2 million more that have fled to other countries, it hasn’t been simple or balanced. Ukrainian children and their families are displaced within Ukraine as well as across Europe and the wider world. They face difficulties from internet outages, active threats, and widespread displacement. Some students may not have basic school supplies with them such as a pencil or paper.
Teachers deal with similar obstacles. In addition to that, many teachers have stepped away from education and joined the armed forces. Those still teaching deal with more traumatic emotional environments as both they and the children they teach attempt to cope with the pain of war. Many students and teachers have also joined schools in new countries where language and cultural dissimilarities create additional barriers to learning.
Education disruptions have been the worst in eastern Ukraine where fighting has been unrelenting. Eight years of war with Russian-backed separatists in the region didn’t help, damaging and destroying more than 750 schools in the east before Russia’s February invasion. For those in occupied Ukraine, a current “Russification” of education is occurring. The internet in these areas is being routed through Russia, making Ukraine’s education initiatives inaccessible, and Ukrainian curriculums are being scrapped and replaced by those from Russian schools.
Despite these many challenges, 3.7 million Ukrainian children have been able to access online learning since initial school closures in February, even if intermittently. Ukraine has also broadcasted video lessons on state television stations to further amplify access to learning materials.
Ukraine’s education system carries on with the help of many people. Parents and community members have stepped in as educators, with many holding classes in bomb shelters or safe houses. Volunteers from abroad have hosted online language lessons, and organizations such as Teach For All have arranged virtual and in-person classes while working with mental health professionals to support teachers and students. Additionally, certain schools in other countries like Poland have formed classes with Ukrainian children and teachers where instruction follows Ukrainian curriculums and occurs in their native language.
Education continues to adapt as the war changes. Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv plans to reopen schools in September while maintaining online access for those unable to attend in person. Additional cities will likely follow suit depending on the viability. However, disruptions still run rampant—they will until the war is long over. Untraditional and online learning remains the reality for many Ukrainian students, and countless schools may never reopen as they are damaged, destroyed, or even turned into makeshift military bases or weapons storage.
In times of great crisis such as this, education is more crucial than ever. It provides students with basic necessities, a routine, and a sense of normalcy. Most importantly, it builds dreams and empowers students. Ukrainians carry on as best they can, but Russia’s war continues to strike both physically and mentally, leaving life-long wounds in the children and people it has ravaged. Education is disrupted but not gone for Ukraine’s children—what is gone is what came before: normalcy, safety, and childhood.
