Safe Learning Amidst War: How Ukrainian Schools Adapt to New Challenges
Published: Sep 1, 2024 Reading time: 4 minutes
This year marks the third time that the school year in Ukraine began under the conditions of war and the sound of air raid alarms. Where possible, children will continue to learn in person. The main issue now is creating a safe environment for students and teachers. People in Need continues to repair educational institutions and shelters so that children can return to their desks.
Lyceum No. 1 is the largest educational institution in the Mezhova community in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. It hosts 420 students, including many displaced persons. The village has become a temporary refuge for hundreds of families fleeing the shelling. There is a temporary accommodation center for evacuated people in Mezhova. In recent weeks, due to the worsening situation in the Pokrovsk direction, more families have been arriving here. Some decide to stay and enrol their children in the local schools.
"Many children have come from Donetsk Oblast. Schools are being destroyed there on a large scale, and parents have decided to move here. They say, 'We came to you because your school is operating offline. Children need to go out, they need social interaction, and they need communication," says the principal of Mezhova Lyceum No. 1, Yuliia Drozdova.
The lyceum has a blended learning model. Children can attend classes in person or study from home if parents are afraid to send them to school. Air raid alarms in Mezhova sometimes last for 6-9 hours. Therefore, ensuring the safety of students and teachers during the educational process has become a critical issue. With its funds, the community managed to renovate the lyceum’s underground shelter, which covers 380 square meters. People in Need provided a modern ventilation system and equipped the premises.
These renovations were made possible thanks to funds from the European Union. This is already the fourth educational facility we have repaired in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
In addition to the constant threat of shelling, power outages, and the need to ensure uninterrupted educational processes, teachers face many other challenges. The COVID-19 quarantine and the subsequent full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine have significantly impacted students' psychological well-being, notes the principal of Mezhova Lyceum. This is particularly true for those who have arrived from conflict zones.
The reliable shelter will allow Mezhova Lyceum to hold the first bell ceremony and ensure a safe environment for students and staff during the school year. However, the frontline, which is currently relatively distant, is moving towards the village, causing additional concern among the community.
As part of the project "Educational Consortium in Ukraine: Safe Return to Learning" funded by the European Union, we have helped repair 31 educational institutions in Sumy, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions. This means that children can return to classrooms and interact with their peers. People in Need also continues to provide psychological support to students and teachers. We assist students in overcoming educational losses and ensure active engagement in our digital learning centers. We do everything possible to guarantee high-quality and safe education for all children.
