New analysis, released on the eve of International Day of Education, shows 576 education facilities in Ukraine – including schools, kindergartens and universities – were damaged or destroyed in 2024 compared to 256 education facilities in 2023.
KYIV, 23 January 2025 – Verified attacks on education facilities in Ukraine more than doubled in 2024, with thousands of children now learning online, out of school entirely, or in underground classrooms as nearly three years of learning losses continue to mount, Save the Children said.
New analysis, released on the eve of International Day of Education, shows 576 education facilities in Ukraine – including schools, kindergartens and universities – were damaged or destroyed in 2024 compared to 256 education facilities in 2023.
Some parents who live close to the front line in Ukraine have told Save the Children that constant attacks on education facilities make them scared to send their children to school, with some caregivers choosing not to enrol their children due to safety concerns.
The full-scale war in Ukraine, which broke out in February 2022, has disrupted the education of around 4 million children – the vast majority of school students across the country. About 600,000 students are now learning remotely and no longer attend face-to-face classes, unable to see their friends and teachers due to the risk of attacks. Their schools are either too close to the frontline and are at risk of being bombed or simply lack an equipped protective shelter.
A new study conducted by Save the Children with children and adults in conflict-affected regions in the south, east and north of Ukraine shows most children do not have access to face-to-face learning, with 75% of parents surveyed stating their children are primarily engaged in remote learning.
The research also reveals that children are at high risk of learning loss, with most parents stating that their children face challenges in accessing quality education. The top challenges included a lack of internet connectivity, disrupted learning due to air raid alerts and a lack of contact with peers.
With ongoing strikes on energy infrastructure in Ukraine this winter, there’s a risk children will face further learning loss, with estimates suggesting that children who learn exclusively online may lose between 60 and 160 learning hours a month due to power cuts and loss of internet connectivity.
The long-term impact of the war in Ukraine on children’s academic performance can already be seen in an assessment conducted by the State Service for Education Quality of Ukraine in 2024. While the test results for 6th graders showed a slight improvement, test results declined for 8th graders and students who continued learning remotely or in hybrid formats.
In an effort to provide more children with face-to-face learning, cities in Ukraine under intense daily attacks are starting to build underground schools. The city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine has resorted to setting up underground schools in its metro system to allow children at least some hours a day of face-to-face classes and the chance to interact with friends and fellow students.
Artem*, 6, lost his father in the war and attends an underground school in Kharkiv. His mother Olha* (25) said going to school is important for Artem’s mental health, but that schools above ground in their city are dangerous places for children:
“In regular schools, it can be dangerous because not every school has a shelter. We need the metro (underground) school to keep our children safe from missiles and everything that's happening now…with the metro school, you take your child there, and you don’t worry as much about what might happen.
“My child has been attending school for a month and a half, and he enjoys interacting with the other children. Even if they only have classes for three hours, at least they’re not online. The teacher is actually there working with the child. He sees the teacher not just on a screen, but in person, which he finds more understandable.
“The thing he misses the most is his father, who died in the war. To help children return to the way they lived before the war, I think they will need a very good psychologist. They will need a good psychologist, and I think it's not just children; but adults who have also been through a lot. Everyone will need psychological help after the war to heal both their minds and their nervous systems.”
Save the Children’s Country Director in Ukraine, Sonia Khush, said:
“The bombing of education facilities in Ukraine is against international humanitarian law and is absolutely unacceptable – the attacks must stop immediately. Every child has the right to an education without fear of violence or attack. Every school should be a protected space for students to learn, and fulfil their potential, even during war.
“Education for millions of children in Ukraine has been disrupted. Although it’s important that online learning is in place for children who cannot access schools safely, the shift to remote learning has been very challenging for students, especially children who have been displaced or who need extra support to learn. We will see the impact of this for generations to come.
“Children in Ukraine have suffered through almost three years of full-scale war, which has left them exhausted, devastated and depleted. Parties to the conflict must end the appalling attacks on civilian infrastructure and grave violations against children. The international community must also commit to supporting and funding the long- term recovery of this generation – including by getting children back to school and ensuring they can live in safety and dignity with their families.”
Save the Children has supported more than 259,000 children with education in Ukraine since February 2022. The organisation has set up Digital Learning Centres to provide students with access to learning, play and in-person support, repaired schools and kindergartens, including building 750 protective shelters for schools in front line areas, and provided catch-up classes for children who have missed months and years of education. Save the Children has also provided educational facilities – including the underground metro schools – with electronic equipment such as laptops and tablets and school kits for children, including a backpack, pencils and books.
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Content:
VIDEO STORY: Olha* (25) and Artem* (6), underground school & access to education in Ukraine: www.contenthubsavethechildren.org/Package/2O4C2S1RR00Q
Notes to editors
Figures on verified attacks on education facilities were sourced from the United Nations Protection of Civilians in Conflict reports and the Periodic Reports on the Human Rights Situation in Ukraine. All reports can be accessed on the UN website. The number of education facilities damaged or destroyed in Ukraine in January 2023 alone is unavailable. However, the UN has documented that from 1 August 2022 until 31 January 2023, there were 61 educational facilities destroyed and 118 damaged.
There are an estimated 4 million school students in Ukraine according to 2023 data.
Save the Children conducted a Multi-Sector Needs Assessment with 858 adults and 15 children living in Sumska, Kharkivska, Mykolaivska, Khersonska, Dnipropetrovska, Zaporizizka, and Donetska oblasts in November 2024. The Save the Children research referenced in this press release is sourced from this assessment.
Save the Children has been working in Ukraine since 2014. Since 24 February 2022, the children’s rights agency has dramatically scaled up its operations and now has a team of 350 staff based in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Dnipro, Sumy and Chernivtsi.
