The decision of the Ministry of Education and Culture regarding compulsory full-time education for children of IDPs: violent reaction of society
From September 1, 2025, a new decision of the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) will enter into force in Ukraine, which establishes mandatory full-time education for children who are internally displaced persons (IDPs). The Ministry of Education and Culture reminded about this on Facebook, which caused a wave of criticism and controversy among educators, parents and the public. And although the Ministry of Education and Culture notes that the possibility of distance learning remains for certain cases, many see in these innovations risks for the quality of education, as well as additional stress for families already affected by the war.
On the one hand, MES strives to return children to a safe educational process that meets the standards of offline education. On the other hand, in reality, when schools in many territories of Ukraine may be overloaded or may not have the proper conditions for face-to-face learning, this initiative calls into question its realism and expediency.
What the new rules provide
The new rules on compulsory full-time education for migrant children will come into force on September 1, 2025. The Ministry of Education and Culture explains that in order to transfer a child to offline education, it is necessary to check the school’s ability to accept one more student.
This can be done using the website of the Institute of Educational Analytics, where you can find information about the availability of free places in a specific educational institution.
If there are places, parents submit an application for enrollment at the educational institution and inform about the transfer to the school where the child previously studied online. However, if there are no free places or unsuitable conditions for learning (for example, lack of shelter), the child has the right to continue learning remotely. This is stipulated by the list of conditions that leave the right to distance learning.
Project manager “Schools are offline” Nadiya Kuzmychova notes that parents must provide the director with confirmation of the lack of places according to data from the official website. This raises the question of whether all schools will be able to adequately provide for such a process, and whether this will lead to additional difficulties for families who are already facing multiple challenges.
The “Offline Schools” policy, which is a joint project of the Ministry of Education and Culture and the relevant Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, aims to return children to safe face-to-face education. Where this is not possible, the creation of conditions for high-quality and effective distance education is foreseen. However, in wartime realities, this policy raises doubts about its ability to ensure adequate quality of education for all migrant children.
Society’s reaction to the decision of the Ministry of Education and Culture
The decision of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine regarding mandatory full-time education for immigrant children from September 1, 2025 has caused a wave of criticism in society. Under the relevant message of the Ministry of Education and Culture on Facebook, users are actively expressing their dissatisfaction and indignation.
Here are some of the comments that testify to the general mood of Ukrainians:
- Marina L.: “How can you force children to go to school when many places don’t even have bomb shelters? It’s not safe!”
- Oleg V.: “My child is already used to distance learning and it suits him. Why do we have to change everything again? It’s just extra stress!”.
- Anna P.: “And what about those who moved to small villages where there aren’t even schools? Why doesn’t the state think about people’s real problems?”
- Yuriy S.: “This decision will only complicate the lives of families who have already experienced so much. Why can’t the right of choice be left to the parents?”.
These comments reflect the concerns of parents and educators about the safety and accessibility of learning for their children in challenging environments. The MES is currently facing serious criticism, and many expect a review of the decision or at least more flexibility in its implementation.
Given the challenges faced by IDP families, it is important that the new rules take into account all the realities and needs of war-affected children, ensuring their access to education without additional barriers.
