Wartime damage won't keep any Kyiv school from beginning the academic year

Kyiv pushes forward with school repairs

According to Рубрика — Суспільство: Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, has been a frequent target of Russian strikes during the full-scale war, and that has left a heavy mark on its schools. The city is now restoring 107 damaged educational facilities, and every school in the capital will start the new academic year. Five schools, however, will not have repairs finished by September 1; these will use a blended model that combines in-person classes with distance learning. Since the full-scale invasion began, 314 educational institutions in Kyiv have been damaged in total.

Repair teams are working in 47 schools and 41 kindergartens, according to Valentyn Mondryivskyi, deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration. As of August 13, five schools are expected to miss the restoration deadline before classes begin:

• School No. 101
• School No. 73
• School No. 199
• Lyceum No. 160
• Special School No. 10

Mondryivskyi acknowledged parents' concerns about September 1. "We understand that parents want to know whether their children will be able to return to school on the first day. The school year will start in all of Kyiv's schools. But because of how much damage there is, not every building can be completely renovated by that date," he said. "Take a school that had 90 percent of its windows blown out by shelling: replacing them is not a matter of a few days. There are procedures to follow and purchases to make, and with both producers and contractors working under limited resources, this work requires extra time."

The working format for each institution will be determined based on the security situation and the building's actual condition on September 1. "Our task is to allow every child to begin the school year in safe conditions," Mondryivskyi added. "Where buildings are still being repaired, instruction will be arranged in a blended in-person and distance format. In parallel, work will continue until the facilities are fully restored."

The stakes of restoring education infrastructure

In short, Kyiv's schools are ready for the new academic year despite the difficulties, even if some will rely on a mixed format. Restoring educational infrastructure is a key step toward ensuring that children's education continues during wartime. The use of a blended format in schools still under repair reflects the authorities' determination to keep education accessible in trying circumstances. It also underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to reconstruction in wartime, one that prioritizes both the safety of children and the quality of the learning environment.