Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the number of students in schools in Donetsk region has decreased by 55 per cent
War not only destroys buildings, infrastructure and the economy, but also has a significant impact on social institutions, including the education system. When a country faces constant shelling, violence and displacement, education becomes one of the biggest challenges. The situation in the Donetsk region, where hostilities have been ongoing for more than a decade, shows how difficult it is to maintain access to education in the face of constant danger to life. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the number of students in Donetsk region schools has fallen dramatically, highlighting the scale of the educational crisis in the region.
The dynamics of the decline in the number of students: the realities of war
Tetiana Sidasheva, Director of the Department of Education and Science of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, said that at the beginning of 2022, 168,000 students were enrolled in schools in Donetsk region. However, with the outbreak of active hostilities, the situation changed dramatically. By 1 September 2022, the number of students had dropped to 105,000, and by 1 September 2023, it had already dropped to 92,000. Today, as of October 2024, the number of schoolchildren is only 76,300, which indicates an overall reduction of 55%. This statistic is due to the massive migration of families to other regions of Ukraine and abroad in search of safe living and learning conditions.
Teaching staff: critical outflow of personnel
The situation with teaching staff is no less complicated. Before the start of the war in 2022, more than 14,000 teachers worked in schools in Donetsk Oblast, but now their number has almost halved to 7,000. A significant number of teachers were also forced to evacuate or change their profession due to the inability to work in dangerous conditions. This puts an additional burden on the remaining teachers and increases the complexity of organising the educational process.
School closures and distance learning
In addition to the outflow of students and teachers, the number of schools forced to close is growing. In 2024, 19 general secondary education institutions in 11 territorial communities of the region suspended their work, forcing about 2,000 children to transfer to other educational institutions. At the same time, 254 schools in the region continue to operate, but only in a remote format. This format allows children to receive knowledge, but cannot fully replace traditional education due to technical difficulties and the lack of stable Internet access in some areas.
Impact of the war on educational infrastructure and evacuation
The Donetsk region remains one of the most dangerous regions of Ukraine due to constant shelling by Russian forces. The shelling not only destroys homes and businesses, but also threatens the safety of school infrastructure. Schools that remain in the areas of active hostilities are often destroyed, making it impossible to conduct the educational process offline. In addition, mandatory evacuations continue, including the forced evacuation of children and their families from particularly dangerous areas.
The educational system in Donetsk Oblast, as well as in other regions of Ukraine affected by the war, needs not only immediate support but also strategic solutions. As of today, it is necessary to ensure the stable operation of distance education, support teachers who remained in the region, and find opportunities to rebuild destroyed schools after the end of hostilities. It is also important to create conditions for the return of evacuated families and the integration of students who were forced to change schools. Only comprehensive solutions will help avoid an even greater crisis in the education sector in eastern Ukraine.
