The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has approved new updates to the regulations governing remote learning amid wartime conditions.
This was reported on the official website of the Ministry, as conveyed by Ukrinform.
«These changes relate to orders No. 1112 (dated August 7, 2024) and No. 1115 (dated September 8, 2020). These updates are part of the «School Offline» initiative aimed at ensuring quality education for every child, regardless of their location, whether it be in government-controlled areas, temporarily occupied territories, or abroad,» the statement reads.
The ministry stated that the decision to alter the organization of remote learning is the result of systemic collaboration with communities and regions, and takes into account suggestions made during public discussions. «The approved changes are tailored to the needs and specifics of frontline and border regions,» the Ministry assures.
In particular, the changes introduce new class size norms: a minimum of 20 students is required. However, for schools in temporarily occupied territories and in border areas, a reduction to 10 students is permitted; for other cities, the minimum can be 15. These requirements do not apply to special and specialized schools.
Furthermore, schools can operate remotely even if there is a lack of one or two parallel classes.
Additionally, separate classes for Ukrainian studies are being introduced, where students will learn under a unified educational program within the same class.
Children abroad can: study remotely only in Ukrainian studies (5-8 hours/week) if they attend a local school; study fully remotely if they do not attend a local school; or choose individual forms of education, such as external studies or homeschooling.
For children in temporarily occupied territories, pedagogical patronage is provided. This includes individual instruction with teacher payment, even if there are no open classes in the school.
Moreover, if a child is in an area where combat actions are ongoing or possible, they can continue their education remotely at their school from which they evacuated. There is no need to transfer to another institution for remote learning. However, if in-person classes are available with shelter at the school, this remains a priority for students.
The Ministry is also establishing a reserve of teachers from frontline and affected regions. Teachers who might be left without classes will have the opportunity to undergo training and receive an average salary. This reserve will apply to educators from Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Chernihiv regions. Relevant changes to the regulation on the personnel reserve are expected to be approved soon.
It has been noted that all adapted changes regarding remote learning will take effect from September 1, 2025.
The Cabinet of Ministers has allocated 370 million UAH for modern educational spaces and STEM laboratories in the regions.
