Education ombudsman: Most parents want to leave distance learning, and schools lack equipped storage

Education ombudsman Serhiy Horbachev said that most parents want to leave distance learning from September 1. Also, the number of equipped storage facilities in schools is quite low.

He announced this at a briefing at the Ukraine Media Centre.

"Currently, 50-60% of parents choose distance education. But I am convinced that it is important for us to have offline learning, under safe conditions, especially for elementary school. It is the first grades that are most vulnerable to distance education," he said.

Horbachev also emphasized that, according to the Ministry of Education, only 30% of schools have equipped shelters. The State Emergency Service reports even lower numbers — only 12%.

According to him, there is now a proposal for Ukrainian children living abroad and studying in local schools to have the opportunity for at least a few hours of online classes with teachers from Ukraine.

"This will not solve the problem definitively, but it will allow us not to leave our children without the Ukrainian language and history," he emphasized.

• The government recommends that schools start learning in an offline format from September 1, and universities, except for the first courses, from August 15. Local authorities should organize training on the evacuation of students to shelters and safety lessons, create visualization of the way to shelters, provide all conditions for stay and study in shelters. Also, every educational institution should have a panic button in case of an emergency.
• In July, the State Emergency Service announced that all schools in Ukraine would be checked for compliance with security requirements before the start of the academic year. If there is no bomb shelter or shelter with everything necessary, then training in an offline format will not begin.