Mykolaiv has lost a quarter of its schoolchildren over the course of the war

Schoolchildren in Mykolaiv. Photo from the NikVesti archive

In Mykolaiv, the number of schoolchildren has fallen by 25% compared to pre-war years. Currently, over 34,572 children are enrolled in the city’s general secondary education institutions.

This was reported during an online broadcast on 30 April by Hanna Lychko, head of the Mykolaiv City Council’s Education Department, according to NikVesti.

According to her, there are currently 64 general secondary schools operating in the city. Of these, 52 schools are operating in-person, with a further 12 running remotely.

Hanna Lychko also reported that 59.92% of pupils are studying in person, with a further 8.18% following a blended learning model. Meanwhile, 31.9% of children continue to study remotely.

In Mykolaiv, the number of pupils in schools has decreased. Screenshot from a live broadcast

As the head of the education department noted, there has been a decline in pupil numbers year on year.

«Even compared to the previous academic year, we have seen a decrease of 3,000 pupils. This indicates that the average occupancy rate of schools and classes continues to decrease every year,» the official noted.

Number of pupils by academic year:

• 2021–2022 academic year — 46,304 pupils;
• 2022–2023 academic year — 44,437;
• 2023–2024 academic year — 41,107;
• 2024–2025 academic year — 37,814;
• 2025–2026 academic year — 34,616 pupils.

In Mykolaiv, the number of pupils in schools has decreased. Screenshot from a live broadcast

It should be noted that Mykolaiv is set to approve a network of academic lyceums by 1 September 2027. This is part of preparations for the reform of upper secondary specialised schools. However, not all educational institutions are ready to enrol pupils in Years 10–12 next year, so they may lose their lyceum status.

As is known, the Mykolaiv Education Department has initiated a decision to close three nurseries: №104 (nursery on Torhova Street in the Korabelnyi district), №128 (a nursery-kindergarten at the junction of Mariupolska and Pavla Skoropadskoho Streets (formerly Admiral Makarov Street)) and №138 (a nursery-kindergarten on General Popel Street in Balabanivka). The official reason is the lack of, and impossibility of, providing shelter. This means that if the motion is passed at the session, such educational establishments will no longer exist in Mykolaiv, and their total number will decrease.