September 1 marked the start of a new academic year for 3.5 million children in Ukraine.

Of these, nearly 2.3 million will be learning in person. The number of students engaging in online learning has decreased by 103,000, reported Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

Serhiy Babak, head of the Education and Science Committee of the Verkhovna Rada, noted that 10% of Ukrainian students are studying through alternative formats, as they are either abroad (around 303,000) or in temporarily occupied territories (over 35,000 students).

According to him, about 12,000 schools will operate in Ukraine this year. More than 8,000 will provide in-person education, 2.5 thousand will offer a mixed format, and another 1.5 thousand will operate remotely.

Previously, Deputy Minister of Education and Science Nadiya Kuzmychova shared that the majority of children studying online are students from schools in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Additionally, there are currently 56 relocated schools operating in Ukraine, stated Education Minister Oksen Lisovyi.

"Today, four relocated schools from Donetsk are opening their doors for children in new cities. A total of 56 relocated schools across the country means that children remain part of their school communities", he wrote.

Yulia Svyrydenko also mentioned that by the end of 2026, there are plans to open 203 new shelters in schools across Ukraine.

Earlier, Nadiya Kuzmychova reported that 221 underground schools are currently being constructed in Ukraine. From September 1, 33 of them will open, and by the end of the year, 156 more facilities are expected to be completed, allowing over 100,000 children to return to classrooms.