Kyiv – As the new school year began, the Ukrainian Global School in the capital announced that all classes will be held in its basement shelter. The decision comes after a wave of Russian air raids forced the city to sound air‑raid alerts 60 times over a six‑day period, totaling about 47 hours of alerts.
Classes move underground
In a letter to parents, the school explained that holding lessons underground eliminates the need for students to rush to safety each time an alert sounds. “Now, during an air‑raid alert, there’s no need to run anywhere, interrupt classes, or wait for hours to resume learning. The children are already where it’s safe,” the school wrote, describing the change as taking education “to a whole new level.”
Escalating attacks
Russian forces have intensified their aerial campaign against Kyiv, using newer jet‑powered drones that are faster and harder to intercept than earlier models. Local authorities report at least 53 deaths and more than 100 injuries in Kyiv and the surrounding region during the recent surge of attacks.
Impact on families and students
Many children now attending school have never known a time of peace. Those entering eighth grade are the youngest Ukrainians to have experienced uninterrupted schooling, while younger students have never attended school in peacetime. Parents are being urged to teach children how to respond to alerts, treating preparedness as essential as packing a backpack.
President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the school to mark the start of the academic year, meeting students in the shelter. He condemned the attacks, saying, “The Russians are despicable… even among enemies, there is usually an understanding that children are children.”
Displacement and enrollment decline
UNICEF estimates more than 1.8 million Ukrainian children now live abroad, with many more displaced within the country. The Ministry of Education reported that 243,398 first‑graders began school on Tuesday, far fewer than the 400,000 who started in 2021 before the war.
One mother, Nadiia Andrianova, described the toll of nightly attacks. After months of sleeping in the Kyiv Metro as a shelter, she decided to relocate her family to western Ukraine, where her nine‑year‑old daughter Aiia now attends a new school.
Looking ahead
As the conflict enters its fifth year, Ukrainian educators and families continue to adapt, seeking ways to provide learning amid constant danger. The shift to underground classrooms reflects a broader effort to maintain normalcy for children despite the ongoing war.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
