School cuts are not just dry numbers on paper or formal solutions. Behind every closed school stands a whole generation of children who lose the opportunity to gain knowledge in their native village or town. These are children who are now forced to look for new educational opportunities, often dozens of kilometers from home. Imagine how in yesterday’s noisy schoolyard, silence suddenly comes, the voices of teachers and the laughter of students disappear, and instead of a lively life, only an empty house with closed doors remains. This reality is a real blow not only for children, but also for communities that lose the center of their social activity.
The briefing, held in the media center of the Vinnytsia Regional Military Administration, once again emphasized the urgency of the problem. Volodymyr Bunyak, Director of the Department of Humanitarian Policy of Vinnytsia Oblast, shared disappointing news: the number of schools in the region has significantly decreased over the past 17 years. In 2006, the region had 1,036 educational institutions, while now there are only 620. This is a reduction of almost 40%, and this number will only increase if the trend continues.
But the war is not the only reason for these changes. The demographic decline that hit Ukraine in recent years left no chance for the educational system to remain at the same level. According to Bunyak, the number of first-graders is decreasing every year, and this year the region did not receive nearly 1,500 children in the first grade. This phenomenon has far-reaching consequences – fewer children means not only smaller classes, but also possible school closures in the future.
This becomes a particularly acute issue for small communities, where each school is an important center of life. The closure of one educational institution can force parents and children to leave for other places in search of affordable education, which further reduces demographic indicators.
Bunyak also summarized the work of the education system of Vinnytsia for the 2023-2024 school year, especially considering the challenges faced in wartime. One of the key tasks was to ensure the safety of children during the educational process, because war not only affects the life of every child, but also threatens their education. The creation of shelters in schools has become a critically important step in preserving the possibility of studying in a face-to-face or mixed format.
Thanks to the joint efforts of Vinnytsia OVA, district military administrations, territorial communities and parents, it was possible to provide shelters to most educational institutions. As Bunyak reported, as of today, 90% of preschool education institutions, 98.5% of schools, 93% of vocational schools and all higher education institutions have protective structures. This allows children to continue learning despite air alarms and threats from the aggressor.
However, even such security measures cannot completely solve the problem of reducing the number of schools and students. Today, Vinnytsia is faced with a serious challenge: on the one hand, educational institutions are doing everything possible to create safe conditions for children, and on the other hand, they are forced to close their doors due to the lack of a sufficient number of students.
The demographic situation is only getting worse, and this endangers not only the future of educational institutions, but also the lives of small communities, which lose important social institutions. No matter how painful it sounds, every closed school is another step towards the decline of the community.
Vinnytsia educators face new challenges ahead, and one of the main tasks for the 2024-2025 academic year is the preservation of schools in such difficult conditions. Without proper attention to demographic issues and support for education, we may lose not only schools, but also hope for a better future for children who remain in their communities.
