The Cabinet of Ministers approved three options for arranging ground shelters for schools
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved three options for arranging ground shelters for schools, which will allow about a thousand educational institutions to start face-to-face training already this school year. This decision is an important step in ensuring the safety of schoolchildren and teachers in regions where underground shelters cannot be used. The safety of children during the learning process remains a priority for the Government and approved ground shelter standards will facilitate a return to face-to-face learning, even in difficult circumstances. About this reported Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during the government meeting, emphasizing that these decisions are part of a larger strategy aimed at restoring a full-fledged educational process in Ukraine.
The new strategy of the Cabinet of Ministers envisages the creation of a safe educational environment in conditions where the use of underground shelters is impossible. These three options for the arrangement of ground shelters were developed by the joint efforts of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MES). Communities, depending on the level of threats in their localities, will be able to implement one of the shelter options, which will ensure the most effective protection of children and teachers.
The options for shelters approved by the government correspond to various scenarios of the development of events and take into account the specifics of individual regions of the country. For example, for settlements located in the immediate vicinity of the combat zone, more powerful structures capable of withstanding significant loads are provided. For regions where the situation is relatively stable, it is possible to use lighter, but still reliable structures.
The Prime Minister also noted that about a thousand schools will already be able to switch to face-to-face education thanks to the implementation of these new standards. It is important to emphasize that the availability of safe shelters is the main prerequisite for the resumption of offline learning. The government program for the construction and arrangement of shelters includes not only new construction, but also the modernization and conversion of existing premises, which will allow to optimize costs and reduce the time for preparing schools for the educational process.
This year, 2.5 billion hryvnias will be allocated for the construction of shelters. These funds will be distributed among regions, taking into account the level of threats and the number of schools in need of such shelters. In addition, the government plans to attract additional funding from international partners to ensure the fastest and highest quality performance of the works.
Shmyhal emphasized that the government is working to ensure that by the end of 2024, 300,000 schoolchildren can return to safe offline education. This is a strategic task that requires concerted action at all levels of government, as well as public support.
In addition, the government is actively working with international organizations and partners to ensure compliance with global best practices in ensuring the security of educational institutions during conflict. It is important to note that the implementation of this strategy also aims to increase the resilience of the school infrastructure to possible emergency situations in the future.
Thus, the new standards for arranging shelters are an important step on the way to restoring the normal educational process in Ukraine. Ensuring the safety of schoolchildren is a priority for the government and the implementation of these standards will be a key element in creating a safe and supportive learning environment in the face of modern challenges.
