Sirens Above, Lessons Below: Ukraine’s Children Fight to Keep Learning

UNICEF says more than 1,000 alerts were recorded nationwide during the first 15 days of the new school year, nearly double the figure for the same period last year.

For children in Ukraine, returning to school can mean taking a seat underground, keeping lessons open through power cuts or leaving a classroom before an exercise is finished because an air raid siren has sounded. UNICEF says more than 1,000 alerts were recorded nationwide during the first 15 days of the new school year, nearly double the figure for the same period last year. The interruptions are wearing away at children's learning and sense of safety, leaving families and teachers working to preserve an education around the threat of attack.

Underground Schools Offer Space to Be Together

In Sumy, a UNICEF representative spoke from one of 22 underground shelters the agency has helped convert into schools near the frontlines, with room for up to 300 children at that facility. Around half of the region's education facilities have been damaged or destroyed, according to the statement. Government estimates cited by UNICEF put the national toll at more than 4,200 educational institutions damaged since the start of the war, including hundreds affected between January and August this year.

Nine-year-old Sabrina described how much it meant to see her classmates again after studying online, even though the danger outside keeps them indoors throughout the day. "It is so nice to be together again and not learn online," she said, explaining that she misses their walks and outdoor playtime. For children who have experienced explosions, displacement and separation from friends, being together offers something a screen cannot easily provide: familiar faces, shared activities and a routine that helps the day feel more predictable.

Learning Gaps Reach Beyond the Classroom

Findings from the latest OECD Programme for International Student Assessment, as described by UNICEF, show how deeply disrupted schooling is affecting participating Ukrainian teenagers. Around one-third of the 15-year-olds tested fell below basic proficiency in science, and about half did so in mathematics or reading. Some 56 per cent missed the baseline in at least one subject, with 29 per cent falling below it in all three, raising concerns about the knowledge they need for further study, skilled employment and adult life.

The findings covered 17 regions because of security restrictions, leaving an incomplete picture of children's experiences across Ukraine. Principals reported that 61 per cent of students attended schools affected by shortages of learning materials and equipment, and 54 per cent attended schools lacking sufficient digital resources. UNICEF pointed to stable results between 2022 and 2025 as evidence of the effort sustaining education, with teachers supporting children whose difficulties with sleep, concentration and emotions can follow them into every lesson.

Winter Threatens Another Break in Education

Nearly 4.2 million children returned to learning this September, including more than 712,000 preschoolers, alongside over 366,000 teachers. Many children remain dependent on fully online lessons or a combination of remote and classroom teaching, arrangements that can change as attacks shift and intensify. Nearly half of preschool-aged children are missing regular early childhood education and care, according to UNICEF, losing opportunities to develop skills through play, interaction and structured activities during an important stage of childhood.

Winter brings the risk of further disruption as attacks on infrastructure threaten electricity, heating and water supplies. UNICEF says nearly two million children endured extreme winter conditions last year after losing access to these essentials, with power cuts also interrupting online lessons. Its 2026–2027 winter response plans to reach three million people, including 540,000 children, through support that includes repairing heating systems and providing backup energy to schools, helping 375,000 students continue learning in person.

School repairs, safer shelters, catch-up teaching and psychological support can help children regain some of what the war has taken from their education. UNICEF warns that such assistance cannot protect learning from the consequences of continuing attacks, which repeatedly break the routines families work to rebuild. Sabrina's happiness at being back with classmates reflects how much these efforts matter, even when a school day still ends without the freedom to play outside.