Nearly 1,000 schools to start offline education this year - Shmyhal

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said this at a government meeting, Ukrinform reports citing his Telegram account.

"It is important that we establish clear, reliable standards for safe school spaces where it is impossible to use underground shelters and where the security situation allows. To this end, the State Emergency Service and the Ministry of Education have jointly developed three options for arranging above ground shelters, which we are approving today. Communities will be able to implement them depending on the need and level of threats in the locality and region. As a result, about 1,000 schools will be able to start the process of full-time education this school year," he said.

Shmyhal recalled that the government's objective is to facilitate the return of 300,000 schoolchildren to safe offline education through the implementation of a comprehensive strategy by the end of 2024. According to him, the availability of bomb shelters is the main prerequisite for this. The Prime Minister added that UAH 2.5 billion was allocated for the construction of shelters this year.

As Ukrinform reported, more than half a million children in Ukraine study online.