Schools in Zaporizhzhia will return to a blended learning format for the first time since the beginning of the war

Shelter equipped in one of the schools in Mykolaiv, photo: NikVesti

The first 24 schools in Zaporizhzhia are returning to blended learning format — for the first time since the start of the full-scale war.

This was announced by the head of the Zaporizhia Regional State Administration Ivan Fedorov.

According to him, this was the initiative of the regional administration and the demand of parents.

«At the initiative of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration, at the request of parents and after consultations with teachers and law enforcement agencies, the executive committee of the Zaporizhzhia City Council has adopted a decision to establish a blended learning format in schools in the regional center,» the message said.

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This decision must be approved by the Defense Council at the nearest meeting. Only schools equipped with shelters will be able to start working in a blended learning format.

In Zaporizhzhia and the Zaporizhzhia region, the security situation remains difficult due to regular Russian shelling. The occupiers attack settlements in the region with rockets, drones, artillery, and aviation.

What about children's education in Mykolaiv?

Students in Mykolaiv have been studying online since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. Although the authorities are actively equipping shelters in educational institutions with the support of donors and the state, which sometimes causes resentment among the residents.

Refusing to send children to schools is a guarantee of their personal safety, as Mykolaiv is still in the zone of possible ballistic missile damage from Russian military forces, according to Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych. At the same time, he emphasizes the importance of preparing shelters and resuming education in schools when the Ukrainian Armed Forces move the front line.

Currently, out of 142 schools and kindergartens in Mykolaiv, 37 educational institutions have shelters. At the end of December 2023, a commission recommended the opening of seven more educational institutions where shelters are equipped.

The authorities' plans for the next few years include equipping 54 shelters in kindergartens, schools, and lyceums in Mykolaiv.

It should be noted that this year, the schools in Mykolaiv experienced a decline in the number of students. Compared to the previous academic year, the number of students decreased by 3,300. The head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration Vitalii Kim explained that the city's schools are working online because they are still targets for the Russian army. Vitalii Kim also explained that the decision on offline work of city schools will be made by the Office of the President and the Ministry of Education.

Where is offline education available in Mykolaiv region?

In the Mykolaiv region, offline education is allowed in 57 educational institutions. In most cases, these are schools in the Voznesensk and Pervomaisk districts. In addition, 94 schools operate in a blended format, where children study offline on a rotating basis, for example, every other week. Another 277 educational institutions work online.

Offline education was also successfully organized in the front-line city of Ochakiv, which is still in the affected area of enemy rocket-artillery forces. There, a blended learning format is used.

According to a monitoring conducted by the Education Department of the Mykolaiv City Council, 65% of students want to study in person.