School education: Koretskyi explained how school year will begin

Serhiy Koretskyi reported this following a briefing by the Minister of Education and Science.

In regions at high risk of attacks, mass events will not be held

In communities where there is an increased threat of Russian strikes, mass gatherings will not be held until the start of the school year. Assemblies and other ceremonies are permitted only where they are consistent with the security situation, the capacity of shelters, and the ability to quickly reach them during an air raid alert.

Decisions regarding such events will be made by local communities, with the safety of children and educators as the top priority.

Over 80% of schoolchildren have access to shelters

Currently, shelters are available to over 82% of children in preschool and 83% of school students. This includes over 9,000 kindergartens and 11,000 general secondary schools.

Construction of another 131 shelters, including 18 underground kindergartens, is underway with government funding. Once the work is completed, approximately 87% of preschoolers and students will have access to shelters. The goal is to reach 92% by the end of 2027. By comparison, in 2022, shelters were available to only 10% of children.

The situation is more complicated in higher and vocational education institutions—965 out of 1,420 universities and colleges have shelters, or about 68%.

How Children Will Learn in Frontline Regions

The format of instruction in frontline regions will be determined based on the security situation. Children will learn remotely or through a blended format using shelters adapted for educational purposes.

In the Odesa, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Mykolaiv regions, as well as parts of the Dnipropetrovsk region, blended learning could cover about 80% of children.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, this figure is about 72%. In Kharkiv Oblast, due to the security situation, blended learning will be conducted only in underground schools. Currently, there are 17 such schools, and another 7 are scheduled to be completed by the start of the school year. For other children, distance learning will be used.

Students will receive electronic versions of textbooks

Due to Russian attacks on printing presses and warehouses, there may be problems with the timely supply of paper textbooks to schools. If the required number of textbooks cannot be printed, students will be provided with access to electronic versions.

Additionally, in regions where security conditions do not allow for the organization of full-fledged hot meals, schoolchildren will be provided with ready-to-eat meals.

Teachers’ Salaries to Rise by 20%

Starting September 1, the base salaries of teaching and research-teaching staff will increase by another 20%. By early 2026, educators’ salaries will have already risen by 30%.

At the same time, the pay system is changing—instead of the Unified Pay Scale, a model is being introduced in which salaries will depend on the position and a base amount, which currently corresponds to the average salary across Ukraine’s economy.

For preschool, extracurricular, vocational, and pre-higher education, local governments are also recommended to raise educators’ salaries starting September 1, 2026.

Separately, a 2,600 UAH allowance will remain in place for teachers working in person in frontline areas. College instructors who train specialists for the defense-industrial complex, the energy sector, mechanical engineering, and metalworking are entitled to an additional 10% salary supplement.

As a reminder, Kyiv schools plan to begin the first week of the new school year with a hybrid (in-person and remote) format. At the same time, educational institutions are preparing several scenarios to quickly adjust the format of instruction depending on the security situation.