The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has updated the regulations governing remote learning in wartime conditions.
This information was released on the official website of the Ministry, as reported by Ukrinform.
«The changes pertain to orders No. 1112 (dated August 7, 2024) and No. 1115 (dated September 8, 2020). These adjustments are part of the «School Offline» initiative. The main goal is to ensure quality education for every child, regardless of their location — whether in government-controlled areas, temporarily occupied territories, or abroad», the report states.
The ministry noted that the updates in organizing remote learning are the result of systematic collaboration with local communities and regions, as well as taking into account suggestions received during public discussions. «The approved changes are tailored to the needs and specifics of border and frontline regions», the Ministry asserts.
Thus, the changes establish new class size norms: a minimum of 20 students. However, for schools in temporarily occupied territories, frontline areas, and villages, a reduction to 10 students is permitted, while for other cities, it is allowed to be reduced to 15. These requirements do not apply to special and specialized schools.
Additionally, the absence of separate classes is permitted: a school can operate remotely even if one or two classes are missing (for instance, without a 7th grade).
Moreover, separate classes for Ukrainian studies are being introduced: students learn according to a unified educational program within one class.
Children abroad can: study remotely only in Ukrainian studies (5-8 hours/week) if attending a local school; study entirely remotely if not attending a local school; or choose individual forms of education — external studies or homeschooling.
For children in temporarily occupied territories, pedagogical patronage is provided. This entails individual learning with teacher compensation, even if there are no open classes in the school.
Furthermore, if a child is in an area where combat operations are ongoing or possible, they may continue their education remotely at their original school from which they left. They do not need to transfer to another institution for remote learning. However, if there is an option to attend in-person classes where shelter is available, this remains a priority for students.
The Ministry is also establishing a reserve pool for teachers from frontline and affected regions. Teachers who may lose their positions will have the opportunity to undergo training and receive a standard salary. This reserve will apply to educators from Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Luhansk, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Chernihiv regions. Relevant amendments to the decree on the reserve pool are expected to be approved by the government soon.
It is noted that all adapted changes regarding the specifics of remote learning will be implemented starting September 1, 2025.
As previously reported, the Cabinet of Ministers allocated 370 million UAH to regions for the establishment of modern educational spaces and STEM laboratories.
