One third of school classes may disappear: the Ministry of Education has made a troubling forecast.

According to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, by 2029, the number of first-graders in Ukrainian schools will decrease by one third compared to the current year.

Deputy Minister of Education and Science Halyna Kuzmychova reported that the number of first-graders is currently 30% less compared to seventh-grade students. This trend of decreasing student numbers will continue.

"If we take the birth statistics of recent years, by 2029, there will be 30% fewer children entering the first grade than currently studying in the first grade," Kuzmychova emphasized.

The deputy minister reported that more than 50% of schools in Ukraine already today have fewer than 200 students. This negatively affects the quality of education.

The Ministry of Education calls on communities to prepare educational infrastructure for new demographic realities and stated that the main priority is not to preserve existing buildings, but to ensure quality education and students' competitiveness in the labor market.

It was previously announced that some subjects will become optional in schools, and students will be able to refuse to study them.