School at a distance: what challenges await children and teachers
25 June 17:57
ANALYSIS FROM 
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has updated the rules for organizing distance learning under martial law. The goal is to ensure that every child has access to quality education regardless of their location: in Ukraine, in the temporarily occupied territories or abroad. And this is where the most difficult moments begin, because each school must meet certain standards, and children outside Ukraine will have to make significant efforts to obtain a Ukrainian certificate.
What changes are envisaged in the organization of distance learning, found out
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has updated the rules of distance learning under martial law. These are changes to orders No. 1112 and No. 1115.
The goal is to ensure that every child has access to quality education regardless of their location: in Ukraine, in the temporarily occupied territories or abroad from September 1, 2025.
New rules for forming remote classes
The standard is at least 20 students in a remote class.
Exceptions are possible:
- 10 students or more – for schools in frontline areas, temporarily occupied territories, or rural areas;
- 15 students or more – for schools in other regions and cities.
These rules do not apply to specialized and special educational institutions.
Education with incomplete class sizes
A school can operate remotely even if all classes are not present in a row. For example, if there are grades 1-6 and 8-11, and the 7th grade is missing, this is acceptable.
Education of children abroad
If a child attends a local school, he or she can simultaneously receive Ukrainian distance education with a Ukrainian studies component (5 to 8 hours per week).
If a child does not attend a local school, he or she can study the Ukrainian program remotely or individually (family education or externalization).
Pedagogical support (patronage)
For children who live in the temporarily occupied territories, individual study at home with a teacher is possible. Schools can operate in a patronage format even without officially opened classes. In this case, the teacher’s salary is paid by the state.
Support for teachers
A personnel reserve is being created in regions with increased danger. Teachers will be able to take advanced training and receive salaries even if they temporarily do not have a teaching load.
Life abroad: how families choose between two schools
In fact, in the fourth year of the full-scale invasion, the occupation of part of the territories, and the forced emigration of families with children, the situation has turned out to be a stalemate: some children abroad are forced to attend local schools, and many have neither the time nor the desire to study in a Ukrainian school-not to mention those who have remained in the occupied territories.
As told by
The child lives with me in Poland, and we are not going to return. Why should she also study at a Ukrainian school, even remotely? She can read Ukrainian, she speaks it – that’s enough. Well, if we suddenly want to return, we’ll think about it,” Natalia says.
Larysa Klymenko , on the other hand, had an experience when her daughter studied at a British school while attending distance learning classes at a Ukrainian school – but only for a year. “The workload was too much, and we had to choose what to give up.
We came to Britain with a good knowledge of English. My daughter started the 4th grade, and we tried not to lose touch with her homeland – she studied remotely with her Ukrainian class. The time difference helped. But we only had enough strength for a year. The workload was excessive, and so was her training – she goes to a sports club. So I had to give up the Ukrainian school and focus on the British one to keep up with the local program,” says Larysa.
Different realities in the occupied territories
The situation is similar in the temporarily occupied territories. For the first year or two, children could still study in Ukrainian online schools, although there were problems with the Internet and power outages. But a year ago, the local authorities in the occupied Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions forced all children to go to Russian schools and even introduced compulsory Ukrainian language learning. Although, according to Russian media, Russia allegedly canceled the compulsory study of the Ukrainian language in schools in the occupied territories due to the “changed geopolitical situation in the world.” There, Ukrainian was taught as a native language at the request of parents.
How children from TOT study: individual schedules and “Ukrainian component”
Director of Berdiansk gymnasium No. 16, relocated to Zaporizhzhia, Volodymyr Greb in a commentary for
Our gymnasium is attended by children living abroad and in the temporarily occupied territories. We have been working remotely for four years now. Children under occupation face difficulties: they are forced to go to local schools, parents are afraid for their children. So we work with them individually in their free time, free of charge. Since last year, the Ministry of Education and Science has offered individualized learning schedules for these children, but there is no clear algorithm yet, we are waiting for clarification,” said the director.
According to Volodymyr Hreb, about half of the school’s students are currently staying in Berdiansk, on the occupied territory. Some went abroad, and the conditions there are different and better. The Ministry of Education and Science has issued an order to teach these children the so-called Ukrainian component: compulsory subjects include Ukrainian language and literature, history and geography of Ukraine, “I Know the World” and others. These subjects are taught on weekends or in the evening at the request of parents. Other subjects that children study in foreign schools are re-credited.
This year, about 40% of the gymnasium’s graduates are from TOT. Children from TOT are allowed to enter universities by interview without taking NMT, so this number did not take the test. Many of them are planning to enter Berdiansk Pedagogical University, but also apply to other higher education institutions.
The principal emphasizes that in addition to children, the issue of teachers should also be resolved: their workload and pay. Six teachers stayed in Berdiansk and agreed to work with the occupation authorities. The rest have the status of TOT, some have moved to the government-controlled territory of Ukraine, others – abroad.
I will say this: teachers abroad work remotely, but at the same time attend language courses, and two of them have already warned that after completing the courses they will go to work in their specialty in their host countries and leave the school. But I will find a replacement for them in Ukraine. There are people willing to work remotely,” emphasized Volodymyr Greb.
According to a former teacher of Ukrainian language and literature, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the situation in Kherson region is much worse. While in the first year or two children were still willing to study remotely at a Ukrainian school, now they have almost completely switched to the Russian program. She emphasized that the Ministry of Education and Science was several years late in making decisions about distance learning, and parents no longer see any point in Ukrainian education. Unfortunately.
Author – Alla Dunina
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