Minus 755 thousand students and staff decline: the problems Ukrainian schools face

Ukrainian schools operate under three key challenges — demographic decline, safety risks, and unequal access to in-person learning. These are the conclusions reached by the analysts of the charitable foundation savED, who analyzed data on the state of education in Ukraine.

Fewer students and teachers In 2026, roughly 243,3 thousand children started first grade. At the same time, the total number of school students in Ukraine over four years declined by 755,6 thousand. The same trend is seen among educators: during this period their number fell by 52,7 thousand. The demographic decline and population displacement influence the situation. This also changes the geography of demand for education: in some communities the number of children decreases, while others face additional burdens on educational infrastructure. First-grade statistics (savED infographic) Safety determines the format of learning The safety situation remains one of the main factors that determine how schools operate in different regions. Communities continue to equip shelters, restore educational infrastructure, invest in energy resilience and transportation, and attempt to return children to in-person learning. At the same time, conditions can differ not only between regions but also between individual communities and schools. Also read: When are Kyiv schools' autumn holidays: exact dates "We begin the fifth year of full-scale war with very different local challenges: the situation in regions where our fund operates may differ from community to community. But, unfortunately, all share a rise in danger; this is clearly demonstrated by the collected data," said Anna Novosad, cofounder and strategic director of savED. According to her, the uneven regional situation affects children's access to education and creates additional difficulties for implementing educational changes. The format of study in 2026-2027 grades (savED infographic) High school will operate under the old model A separate challenge remains changes in the content of the educational process. For students in 10-11 grades, the current learning model will be preserved so they can complete high school under the programs they started. This is to prevent a shift to a new three-year model midway through the educational cycle. At the same time, a new model of professional secondary education has been piloted. A full transition to studying in 10-12 grades is planned from 1 September ∱2027 year. Frontline-region situation (savED infographic) savED notes that two parallel processes affect education. On the one hand, the state and communities adapt the system to a prolonged war — expanding the shelter network, restoring infrastructure, and developing solutions to return children to in-person learning. On the other hand, demographic decline and population displacement are changing the structure of the educational network.

Also read about the parliamentary committee on education finishing the preparation of draft law No. 15082-d. It aims to give students in 10-11 grades the right to study in the same institution where they started, even if it changes status to a gymnasium. We previously wrote that Ukrainian schools have already received 88% of textbooks for 9 grade. They plan to fully restore the lost books by 5 October. Remember that attacks by the Russian Federation destroyed 1,2 textbooks.