25,000 schools in Ukraine begin new academic year under wartime conditions
On September 1, some 25,000 educational institutions across Ukraine started the new school year in various formats, though ongoing Russian attacks forced many to scale back or cancel traditional opening ceremonies.
Ukraine's new academic year began on September 1 at roughly 25,000 educational institutions across the country, according to a report from Latvian Radio's correspondent in Ukraine.
Schools are operating this year in a mix of formats — in-person, remote, and hybrid — reflecting the varying security situations across different regions amid the ongoing war.
Ceremonies scaled back
The traditional "first bell" ceremony, normally a large gathering of students, parents and teachers common in Ukraine and other post-Soviet countries, did not take place in many locations this year. The reason is the continuous Russian strikes, which have made large public gatherings too risky.
Where ceremonies did go ahead, they were limited in scale — held only for individual classes and moved to secure locations, such as shelters, rather than school courtyards or assembly halls as was customary before the war.
This marks yet another start to the school year that Ukraine's education system has had to navigate under wartime conditions, a situation that continues to shape both students' daily lives and the operations of schools nationwide.
