The Ministry of Education has announced new regulations governing distance learning amid the ongoing military conflict.
This information was published on the official website of the Ministry of Education, as reported by Ukrinform.
«According to the new orders, particularly #1112 (dated August 7, 2024) and #1115 (dated September 8, 2020), changes have been introduced as part of the initiative «School Offline». This initiative aims to ensure quality education for all children, regardless of their location, whether under Ukrainian government control, in occupied territories, or abroad», the statement reads.
The Ministry emphasizes that these changes result from close collaboration with communities and regions, taking into account suggestions received during public discussions. «The new norms are adapted to the specifics of border areas and regions near the frontline», the Ministry of Education asserts.
Under the new provisions, class size regulations have been established: a minimum of 20 students. However, for schools in temporarily occupied territories, frontline areas, and rural communities, an exception allows for a reduction to 10 students, while for other cities, the limit is set to 15. These requirements do not apply to special educational institutions.
Additionally, certain grade levels may be absent: a school can operate remotely even if one or two grade levels are missing (e.g., without a 7th grade).
Separate classes for Ukrainian studies will also be implemented: students will learn under a unified educational program within one class.
Children abroad may: study remotely only in Ukrainian studies (5-8 hours per week) if they attend a local school; study entirely remotely if they do not attend a local school; or choose individual forms of education, such as external studies or homeschooling.
For children in temporarily occupied territories, pedagogical patronage is provided, which includes individual instruction with teacher payment, even if there are no open classes available in the school.
Furthermore, if a child is in an area where hostilities are ongoing or may occur, they can continue their education remotely at their school from which they evacuated. They do not need to transfer to another institution for distance learning. However, if in-person learning is possible with shelter available at the school, that remains a priority for students.
The Ministry is also establishing a reserve of teachers from frontline and affected regions. Teachers who may find themselves without a workload will be able to undergo training while receiving an average salary. This reserve will apply to educators from Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Chernihiv regions. The necessary amendments to the resolution on the teacher reserve are expected to be approved by the government soon.
It is noted that all adapted changes regarding distance learning will take effect on September 1, 2025.
As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers allocated 370 million UAH to regions for the creation of modern educational spaces and STEM laboratories.
