By 2026, 70% of schoolchildren in Kharkiv region will be transferred to study in a mixed format or offline: Oleh Syniehubov
The issue of children’s education is one of the key issues in Ukraine, especially in wartime conditions. The availability of education, its quality, as well as the format of lessons determine not only the level of knowledge of schoolchildren, but also social stability in the region. In Ukraine, where the war has significantly changed the education system, education has become a real challenge for millions of students and their families. Kharkiv Oblast is one of the regions most affected by hostilities, where schools have been destroyed, infrastructure has been damaged, and shelling continues. However, local authorities are actively working to return children to classes. However, questions arise: is it possible to implement this plan in a region that is constantly under the threat of shelling? How safe is it for children?
Educational situation in the Kharkiv region as of 2025
According to official data, by the beginning of 2025, about 100,000 schoolchildren live in the Kharkiv region. Due to constant threats and destroyed infrastructure, most educational institutions work remotely.
According to Oleg Sinegubov, the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, by 2026, 70% of schoolchildren in the region plan to transfer to mixed or offline education. This, in particular, will help keep the residents of the region from moving. He stated this in program “Topic from Moseychuk” on Natalia Moseychuk’s YouTube page.
According to Oleg Synegubov, the issue of education in the Kharkiv region is strategic, because it directly affects the demographic situation in the region.
“The biggest challenge in Kharkiv region is to preserve human capital. Because there is a terrible population outflow. Now it has stopped somewhat, and our people are unique, because they want to continue living, get an education, develop business and enterprises in Kharkiv, and even those who left for Kyiv are considering returning.” — emphasizes the head of OVA.
According to the regional military administration, returning to a mixed or face-to-face format of education will allow: to stop the mass emigration of families who go abroad due to the impossibility of high-quality education for children; to support the psychological state of schoolchildren, enabling them to study in normal conditions, as well as to restore social ties between children and create favorable conditions for their development. In addition, the resumption of schools in the traditional format will contribute to the improvement of the economic situation in the region, because parents will be able to work fully without spending time helping children in distance learning.
In addition, officials believe that distance learning cannot be a full replacement for the traditional educational process. Despite all the efforts of teachers and adaptation of programs, online education has its drawbacks:
- Lack of socialization. Children lose the opportunity to communicate with peers, develop communication skills and gain experience in collective work.
2. Decreasing the quality of education. Due to unstable Internet, power outages and difficulties in teaching many subjects in a virtual format, the level of knowledge may decrease.
3. Psychological influence. Long stay in isolation, lack of usual conditions for learning and stress due to the war have a negative effect on the emotional state of children.
That is why Kharkiv OVA plans to gradually return students to full-time or mixed education, creating safe conditions in educational institutions.
How they plan to organize the educational process
The implementation of the plan to transfer 70% of students to mixed or full-time education depends on a number of factors:
- Creating safe conditions in schools. For this, shelters should be arranged in educational institutions and the necessary security measures should be taken.
- Construction of new schools or restoration of destroyed ones. In Kharkiv Oblast, a large number of educational institutions were destroyed or seriously damaged. Their restoration requires significant funds and time.
- Teacher support. The shortage of teaching staff is another problem that needs to be solved.
- Flexibility of the educational process. For many schools, the optimal option will be a blended form of learning, when part of the lessons take place online and part – in classrooms.
State support and economic aspect
The head of the Kharkiv OVA also noted that one of the important factors that help keep the population in the region are state business support programs.
“In terms of industry, we have reached the state of 2021. Of course, enterprises have shrunk, we have lost about 100,000 economic entities, but those that remained have increased capacity”, — explains Synegubov.
Therefore, the restoration of education is closely related to the economic revival of Kharkiv Oblast. Jobs, stability in business and quality education for children are three key factors that can encourage people to stay in the region.
The issue of returning children to the classroom is important, but is it too early to talk about offline learning in a region that is constantly suffering from shelling? Will parents be able to send their children to school without fear for their safety? The answers to these questions must be sought now, but one thing can be said for sure – education in Kharkiv Oblast will become one of the main components of the recovery of the region after the war.
