Ukraine plans to return offline education for 300 thousand students.

Ukraine plans to return students to face-to-face education

Vice Prime Minister for Innovations, Education, Science, and Technology Development - Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov announced the implementation of the comprehensive strategy "Offline School", aimed at returning 300 thousand students to face-to-face education by the end of the year.

He reported this on his Telegram channel.

The Ukrainian education system has suffered losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war. According to the PISA-2022 study, Ukrainian children are two years behind their peers from other countries. Therefore, this situation requires immediate action to improve the quality of education and preserve the generation.

Currently, more than 600 thousand children are studying remotely, and another 390 thousand are abroad. However, online education has its drawbacks, such as lack of socialization, problems with learning during power outages, and the inability to control the safety of students during air raids.

The "Offline School" strategy will come into effect on September 1, 2024, and will be implemented gradually. It will include the following components:

• Internally displaced children will study face-to-face at their location if it is safe.
• For children abroad, the load will be reduced, leaving only subjects with a Ukrainian component to be studied remotely.
• Students from temporarily occupied and frontline areas will receive an individualized approach to learning.
• Infrastructure development: construction of shelters, purchase of school buses, and provision of necessary technical means for students.
• Teacher support: the opportunity to transfer to a personnel reserve while maintaining average salaries and undergoing special training.

"If we do not bring children to a safe offline environment, we will not be able to overcome educational losses. This is a global fundamental issue of the country's survival in the future," said Mykhailo Fedorov.

The new school year in Ukrainian schools will start on September 2, 2024, and will last until June 30, 2025.