The Ministry of Education and Culture has approved the specifics of the organization of education in schools for the 2025-2026 academic year
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MES) together with the Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Development of Education, Science and Technology Mykhailo Fedorov initiated a new policy called “Offline School”, which provides for the return of students to face-to-face education.
This approach is driven by the desire to create safe and quality conditions for learning in martial law conditions, as well as to ensure equal access to education for all children, regardless of their location. It has already been approved for the implementation of this policy order Ministry of Education and Culture No. 1112, which defines new conditions and procedures for the organization of education for the 2025–2026 academic year. This document will enter into force on September 1, 2025, but some of its components can be implemented now.
Order of the Ministry of Education and Culture No. 1112: basic provisions
Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine No. 1112 “On approval of the Procedure and conditions for obtaining general secondary education in communal institutions of general secondary education in the conditions of martial law in Ukraine” regulates new rules of education for students and teachers. This order replaces the previous order No. 850 related to distance education, which indicates the government’s intention to gradually return students to traditional forms of education.
According to the new order, the main form of education should be face-to-face, which allows for a more effective educational process and socialization of children. However, to ensure the safety of students, the order also establishes certain conditions that must be met in order to resume full-time education:
- Availability of shelters. The school must have its own shelter or the shelter must be located at a distance of no more than 500 meters from the educational institution. This requirement allows for quick and safe shelter of students in case of danger.
- Material and technical support. For the organization of mixed education (combination of face-to-face and remote forms), the school must have the necessary material and technical support. This includes the availability of computers, Internet connections and other technologies that allow lessons to be held in a remote format.
- Decision of authorities. In the regions that are closer to the combat zones, such as Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson and Chernihiv regions (except temporarily occupied territories), the decision to switch to face-to-face education must be approved by the council defense of the region or by the order of the head of the regional military administration (OVA), as well as by the decision of the pedagogical council of the school.
Implementation of the “School offline” policy
The policy “School is offline” provides for the creation of conditions for the return of students to full-time education, provided that all safety requirements are met. Order No. 1112 establishes clear criteria for the organization of the educational process, which take into account various circumstances, including the state of war, the need to preserve the life and health of students, as well as maintaining the quality of education.
The Ministry of Education and Culture also foresees the possibility of using blended learning as a temporary measure until the conditions for face-to-face learning become safe and stable. Blended learning allows schools to flexibly adapt to the current situation, while maintaining a high quality of education.
Distance learning: new rules and requirements
Although the main form of education from 2025 will be face-to-face, Order No. 1112 provides for the continuation of remote classes for those institutions that do not meet the conditions for face-to-face education. Distance learning is an important tool for ensuring a continuous educational process in the conditions of martial law, especially for students who are in the temporarily occupied territories (TOT) or outside Ukraine.
To organize distance learning, each school must create distance classes that will work according to the following principles:
- A complete educational program for students in Ukraine. Pupils who remain in Ukraine will study a full educational program, which includes all necessary subjects and topics that meet the national standard of education.
- Abbreviated program for students abroad. Students who are abroad will study according to a shortened program, which includes a Ukrainian studies component and re-crediting of grades from other subjects studied at school abroad. This allows children to maintain a connection to their home country and culture, while receiving an education tailored to local requirements.
- Distance classes with a Ukrainian studies component. Such classes will be a separate burden for teachers, which will be taken into account in the formula for calculating the educational subsidy. This ensures adequate funding and support for teachers working in challenging environments.
Educational process for IDPs
From September 1, 2025, children who were forcibly displaced as a result of hostilities will be required to study full-time in schools at the place of their actual stay. This decision was made in order to provide these children with access to quality education and to support their integration into a new environment.
However, during the 2024/2025 academic year, displaced children can continue studying in their remote classes, even if there is an opportunity for face-to-face education in their place of stay. This enables a gradual transition to new conditions and minimizes stress for children who have experienced difficult circumstances.
The educational process in the temporarily occupied territories
Pupils living in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine will have the opportunity to continue studying in remote classes, if the security situation allows. The assessment of the safety of the situation will be carried out by teachers and parents who know the local conditions best and can make informed decisions.
Also, for students at TOT, there is an opportunity to switch to an individual form of education (pedagogical patronage) with the use of distance technologies. This will ensure the educational process even in conditions of limited access to the Internet or other resources. The Ministry of Education and Culture will provide recommendations for working under pedagogical patronage and an example of an individual schedule to help schools organize education in such difficult conditions.
