Amid widespread concern that Ukraine’s online learners’ educational progress and personal development is at risk, the government and education organizations are working to improve online learning platforms and incentivize in person school attendance.
At least 1.5 million Ukrainian children have not entered a classroom since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to government figures. This represents just over a third of the school-aged population. For many reasons, including schools being bombed or lacking shelters, online learning is the only safe option. The rest of Ukraine’s pupils study in person or a blend of on- and offline. Yet, online learning appears to be having negative repercussions on the country’s educational attainment.
“Of course online education is not as efficient as offline,” Ihor Khvorostianyi, general director of the school education directorate at Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science, or MoES, told Devex. “In regions with active war ongoing, we just have no possibility to implement offline education.”