Ukraine: UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell conducted a three-day visit across Ukraine. During her visit today she stated that the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has marred the start of a new school year for Ukraine’s four million school children.
Thousands of schools across the nation have been destroyed. Less than 60 per cent of schools are deemed safe and eligible to reopen by the government. On the first day of the academic year, only 300 students attended at any one time due to the capacity of the school’s bomb shelter. Russell visited a rehabilitated primary school damaged during the early weeks of the war too.
“The new school year should be a time of excitement and promise, as children re-enter the classroom and share stories of their summer with friends and teachers. Yet, for four million children in Ukraine, the mood is one of trepidation”, tweeted Russell.
UNICEF is working with the Ukraine government to help get children back to learning, in classrooms. Some 760,000 children have received formal or non-formal education since the war began. These efforts include rehabilitating schools, and providing laptops for online classes, tablets, and supplies to teachers and children.