90% of schools with shelters: Ministry of Education and Science answers whether Ukraine will have time to close all the gaps in child protection in 2025
16 May 19:15
While the Russians are hitting schools, Ukraine is building shelters. 90% of educational institutions are now protected, but hundreds are still under threat. In just one year, Russia has destroyed another 217 schools. How does the government protect students and teachers? Are there enough funds for shelters for each school? And who is really responsible for the safety of children: the state or communities – read more in the article
In Ukraine, as of April 2025, 90% of general secondary education institutions are provided with shelters. This is stated in the response of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine to the request of the
“The total number of objects of the fund of civil protection structures used in general secondary education institutions is 11,029 civil protection structures, which is 90%, and provides educational services for students of 12,250 general secondary education institutions,” Inna Kilderova
According to Inna Kilderova, Head of the Main Department of General Secondary Education, the situation is even better in vocational schools – 100% of vocational education institutions have shelters (728 structures for 539 institutions). The situation is equally good in higher education institutions: 1724 protective structures for 882 colleges and technical schools.
Who is responsible for shelters in schools
According to the law, local authorities are responsible for the condition and arrangement of shelters in municipal educational institutions.
“The founder of a general secondary education institution is obliged to ensure the maintenance and development of the educational institution he or she founded, its material and technical base at a level sufficient to meet the requirements of state standards, licensing conditions, labor protection, life safety, fire safety,” Inna Kilderova
In addition, local budgets and international assistance are the main sources of funding for reconstruction.
How many educational institutions were destroyed by Russia
However, due to Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the educational infrastructure is constantly being destroyed. According to the Ministry of Education and Science, as of April 10, 2025:
- 217 schools were destroyed and another 1705 damaged;
- 12 vocational schools were destroyed and 184 damaged;
- 8 colleges were destroyed and 166 damaged.
Is there money for new shelters in schools?
The state budget for 2025 provides UAH 6.2 billion in subventions for the arrangement of safe conditions in schools and lyceums, including military ones. These funds are allocated for the implementation of a public investment project to build shelters.
In particular, has already been allocated by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2025:
- uAH 3.8 billion for the implementation of 60 new projects (CMU Resolution No. 221-p of March 14, 2025)
- uAH 829.2 million – for 2 military lyceum facilities and the completion of 19 previous projects (CMU Resolution No. 357-r of April 18, 2025),
- another UAH 1.1 billion – for 36 new facilities, the decision was made on May 9, 2025.
How the state subvention is distributed
According to the current procedure, the main priority is given to facilities located in areas with very high and high security risks.
“The amount of funding is determined for groups of security risk levels in the education system: very high – 50 percent, high – 40 percent, moderate and satisfactory – 10 percent, in proportion to the number of students studying in distance or mixed forms,” the Ministry of Education and Science explained.
