Published on: 2026-09-15
Source: United Nations – Объединенные Нации –
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September 15, 2026 Peace and Security
Since the beginning of the new school year, more than a thousand air raid alerts have already been recorded on the territory of Ukraine — the highest figure for this period in the last five years and almost twice as much as for the same period last year. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), ongoing attacks and disruptions in school operations threaten the education of an entire generation of children.
“Children’s right to education remains under threat, and the consequences of this will determine the fate of an entire generation,” UNICEF representative Ricardo Pires said on Tuesday at a press briefing in Geneva. He spoke via video link from the Sumy region, which, according to him, along with the Mykolaiv and Odesa regions, was among the most affected areas this year.
Thousands of damaged schools
Pires was in one of the 22 underground shelters in the areas near the front line, converted into a school facility with the support of UNICEF.
In the Sumy region, he noted, approximately every second educational institution was damaged or destroyed as a result of the conflict.
“It’s terrible to see what should be a place of learning and protection turn into ruins,” said a UNICEF representative.
According to estimates by the Ukrainian government, hundreds of educational institutions were damaged from January to August this year. In total, more than 4,200 educational establishments have been damaged or destroyed since the beginning of the war.
Gaps in education
The consequences of war for children are measured not only by destroyed buildings. The latest results of the International Student Assessment Program, published last week by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), show significant gaps in the knowledge of 15-year-olds living in Ukraine.
About one third of the study participants did not reach the basic level of knowledge in natural sciences, and approximately half did not reach it in mathematics and reading. Compared to the average indicators of OECD countries, this corresponds to a gap of about two years of education in reading and one and a half years in mathematics and natural sciences.
At the same time, 56 percent of schoolchildren did not reach the basic level in at least one of the three subjects – mathematics, reading, or natural sciences. And 29 percent did not reach this level in any of them.
At the same time, 61 percent of Ukrainian schoolchildren study in institutions that lack educational materials and equipment, and 54 percent in those that have insufficient digital resources. These data cover only 17 regions of Ukraine – the study was not conducted in frontline areas due to the security situation. “It can be assumed that schools located closer to the front line are even worse equipped with resources,” noted a UNICEF staff member.
According to Pires, gaps in education also affect children’s ability to continue their studies, obtain decent jobs, and fully participate in community life in the future.
Psychological consequences
Despite the war, Ukraine managed to maintain relative stability in education system indicators from 2022 to 2025, Pires emphasized.
At the same time, the school is not only a place of learning, he noted. After almost five years of war, it is one of the few spaces where children can feel relatively safe, see their friends and teachers, and return to their usual daily routine.
According to a UNICEF representative, young Ukrainians have been waking up for years to explosions, running to shelters, leaving their homes, parting with friends, and living in anticipation of the next attack.
“We see that children are experiencing difficulties with sleep, concentration, and managing their emotions. A child cannot simply leave this fear at the classroom door,” he said.
Almost 4.2 million children returned to school
Despite these conditions, nearly 4.2 million children returned to their studies in September, including more than 712 thousand preschoolers. More than 366 thousand teachers also returned to their classrooms.
A significant portion of children continue to study in hybrid or online formats. At the same time, almost half of preschool-aged children do not receive regular preschool education and care, which deprives them of opportunities to acquire basic skills necessary for further learning.
Threats in the winter period
“Now another threat is approaching – winter,” warned Pires.
Attacks on infrastructure could once again lead to power outages and heating disruptions. Last winter, nearly two million children faced extreme conditions, being left without heat, electricity, and water. Power outages also disrupted online schooling, especially in frontline areas.
As part of the response plan for the 2026–2027 winter period, UNICEF expects to support 3 million people, including 540,000 children. The organization plans to repair heating systems and provide schools with backup energy sources so that 375,000 students can continue in-person learning during the winter.
Together with partners, the UNICEF Child Fund is also restoring school shelters, repairing educational institutions damaged as a result of attacks, helping children catch up on missed lessons, and providing psychosocial support.
“We are doing everything possible to keep children learning, but no aid can protect their education from the consequences of the ongoing attacks,” Pires said.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.