«We will do our utmost to ensure face-to-face teaching», said Lychko regarding the start of the new academic year in Mykolaiv

The first week of the academic year in schools and nurseries in Mykolaiv took place under an adaptive regime. Illustrative photo from the NikVesti archive

The first week of the academic year in schools and nurseries in Mykolaiv took place under a phased approach. At present, heads of educational institutions, together with the Department of Education, are developing a permanent format for teaching, which will depend on the security situation.

This was announced during a meeting on 7 September by Hanna Lychko, head of the Mykolaiv City Council’s Department of Education, according to NikVesti.

According to her, some parents were in favour of distance learning, whilst others asked for the option to attend schools and nurseries in person.

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«From today, heads of schools will continue to work on this issue, and we will operate in-person as much as possible, as far as the security situation allows,» said Hanna Lychko.

Currently, 45 schools are operating in person, whilst a further 12 are delivering remote learning.

At the same time, according to Lychko, there are fewer children in the city’s educational institutions this new academic year. Overall, the number of pupils has fallen by 2,465 compared with last year.

This year, 19,308 pupils have opted for face-to-face learning, whilst 8,060 have chosen distance learning.

Separately, Hanna Lychko spoke about the problem of organising single-shift teaching. She said that parents had approached the education department asking to abandon the two-shift system, but this is currently impossible due to the lack of suitable facilities in the schools. At the same time, the format of teaching in schools and nurseries may change depending on the security situation.

«We are unable to move away from a single shift due to the specific characteristics of our shelters. Parents have often phoned us to say they are against a two-shift system,» noted the head of the education department.

For his part, Mykolaiv’s mayor, Oleksandr Sienkevych, has ordered a check on the operation of ventilation systems in the shelters at schools and nurseries where children are attending in person.

According to him, the city authorities have received reports that ventilation in the shelters is sometimes switched off due to noise or to save electricity.

Oleksandr Sienkevych asked the Department of Education, in conjunction with the State Emergency Service, to check that ventilation systems are in place and in good working order, and to ensure they operate continuously whilst children are in the shelters.

«We must not prioritise saving electricity at the expense of our children’s health. If they fall ill, we will end up spending even more resources,» said the mayor.

He also advocated for children to attend school in person wherever possible. Oleksandr Sienkevych stated that he does not consider distance learning to be a full substitute for face-to-face teaching, particularly for schoolchildren.

«I don’t believe in online learning; I don’t believe that pupils studying remotely can acquire a proper education. I believe that university students from their third year onwards can manage it, but schoolchildren cannot. It’s unrealistic; they play, get up to their own business, chat with someone, but they aren’t actually learning,» noted the mayor.

In his view, it is even safer for children to study in shelters than at home.

«I realise that there are safety risks for children, but these are greatly reduced in shelters. A person at home in a high-rise block is more likely to have a drone crash through their window than if they were in the basement of a school,» added the mayor.

It should be noted that the new academic year has begun in schools across the Mykolaiv region. This year, 6,370 children have started Year 1.