Overview of the Current State of Education and Science in Ukraine in Terms of Russian Aggression

General information

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as of December 20, 2022 the number of refugees fled Ukraine for other countries since 24.02.2022 is more than 16,6 million persons. 

According to the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine as of December 24, 2022, since the beginning of the war, 450 children have been killed and 867 wounded. This data does not include data from areas where the active hostilities take place. 

As of December 23, 2022, 2619 educational institutions have been damaged by bombing and shelling, another 406 are completely destroyed. On December 20, 2022, the Government approved the Strategy of Gender Equality in Education until 2030 and its implementation plan for 2022-2024. The Strategy defines key principles, target audiences, strategic goals and tasks for implementing policy on ensuring equal rights for men and women. 

Preschool education 

As of December 11, 2022, 9,855 preschool institutions started operations, including: 5,083 institutions – in face-to-face mode (334,303 students), 3,455 institutions – in remote mode (235,916 students), 1,317 institutions – in blended mode (112,154 students). 

6,073 preschool institutions accept children from among IDPs (23,299 students). 

60,6 % of preschool age children are covered with learning in preschool institutions. 

173 preschool education institutions are used as reception centers for IDPs. 

928 institutions are located in temporarily occupied territories. 

4,492 inclusive groups operate in preschool institutions (accepting 7,635 children with special educational needs). 

As of December 16, 2022, 889 preschool education institutions have been damaged, 106 have been completely destroyed. 

General secondary education 

As of December 24, 2022, 12,900 general secondary education institutions have started the educational process, including: – in face-to face format 3,600 schools (with 1,069,316 school students); – in distance format 4,500 schools (with 1,710,601 school students); – in blended format – over 4,600 schools (with 1,190,865 school students). 

9,976 schools provide education services for internally displaced education seekers (accepting 162,956 school students). 918 general secondary education institutions are located in temporarily occupied territories as of December 24, 2022 (Donetsk region – 158 educational institutions, Zaporizhzhia region – 266 educational institutions, Luhansk region – 252 EIs, Mykolaiv region – 2 EIs, Kharkiv region – 10 EIs, Kherson region - 230 EIs). 

516,243 of school students and nearly 11,000 school teachers continue to reside abroad. 95,5% of children are enrolled in general secondary education institutions. 

As of December 16, 2022, 1237 general secondary education institutions have been damaged, 214 - have been completely destroyed. 

Inclusive learning 

As of December 23, 2022, 285 special schools are operating (with 34,499 school students enrolled). 

Educational process is conducted in face-to-face, distance and blended modes regarding the safety situation in the region and safety conditions. 9,017 students reside in boarding houses of general secondary schools (special schools, training and rehabilitation centers, sanatoriums, orphanages, gymnasiums, lyceums). No children currently reside in potentially dangerous regions (Donetsk, Odesa, Kharkiv, Kherson, Luhansk regions). 

3 1,220 children with special educational needs continue residing abroad. 39,428 children with special educational needs study in 25,339 inclusive classes of general secondary education institutions. Since the beginning of the russian military aggression, 36 institutions from among of special, sanatorium educational institutions and orphanages have been damaged and destroyed. 

 Information provided by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine