Ukraine, education interrupted for over 5 million children due to 11 months of war

ROME – L’UNICEF today recalls that the ongoing war in Ukraine has interrupted the education of over 5 million children and recalls the consequences of 11 months of conflict, which add to the 2 years of learning lost due to the pandemic and over 8 years of war for children of Eastern Ukraine. “Schools and early childhood learning environments provide a fundamental sense of stability and security for children and therefore missing out on education can have life-threatening consequences,” said Afshan Khan, regional director of theUNICEF for Europe and Central Asia. “There is no pause button. You can’t just postpone children’s education and return to it once other priorities have been addressed, without jeopardizing the future of an entire generation.”

The continued use of explosive weapons. It happens, as we know, even in populated areas. And this has caused the damage or destruction of thousands of schools, kindergartens and other health facilities across the country. At the same time, many parents and caregivers are reluctant to send their children to school out of concern for their safety. In Ukraine, theUNICEF is working with the government to help children get back to learning, in the classroom when it’s safe, and through online or community-based alternatives if in-person learning isn’t possible. While more than 1.9 million children accessed online learning opportunities and 1.3 million children signed up for a combination of in-person and online classes, recent attacks on electricity and other energy infrastructure have caused widespread blackouts and they have left almost all children in Ukraine without lasting access to electricity, which means that even attending virtual classes is an ongoing challenge.

But the school is no longer there even outside the Ukraine. The situation outside Ukraine is also worrying: an estimated 2 out of 3 Ukrainian refugee children are not currently enrolled in the host country’s school system. There are several underlying factors, including limited educational capacities and the fact that, at the onset of the crisis and throughout the summer, many refugee families opted for online learning instead of attending local schools, in the hope to be able to go home quickly. “L’UNICEF will continue to work with the Government of Ukraine and the Governments of host countries to provide supportive solutions for children in conflict areas and all those who have been displaced from their homes to pursue education,” Khan continued.