Ukraine building network of 200 underground schools
As part of its education policy aimed at returning children to in-person learning, the Ukrainian government has designed a network of underground schools in frontline regions. Around 200 such schools are currently under construction, said Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Digital Transformation, at the "Education of the New Ukraine" forum in Kyiv on Tuesday.
"A network of underground schools has been designed and is now being built across the country. About 200 schools are under construction. Many schools already have shelters. The model also includes the addition of buses to transport students, so we can bring as many children back to classrooms as possible," Fedorov stated.
First Deputy Minister of Education and Science Yevhen Kudriavets clarified that 15 of the 200 schools have already been completed. He emphasized that both the pilot projects and the broader model aim to create dual-purpose underground educational spaces that can continue to be used after the war.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced at the forum that over 180 more such schools are scheduled to be commissioned by the end of the year. According to him, 80% of Ukrainian schools are currently equipped with some form of shelter.
Kudriavets also noted that the educational reform will include the creation of more than 100 modern STEM laboratories, 210 new cafeteria units, and 980 safe classroom cells for educational use.
He added that the total budget for this educational transformation in 2024–2025 stands at UAH 22.5 billion – a record amount.
According to Ukraine's State Statistics Service, as of the beginning of the 2024/2025 academic year, the country had 12,300 general secondary education institutions.
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Restoration, Communities, and Territories Development Oleksiy Kuleba added that over 4,000 educational facilities – more than 10% of the national stock – are listed in the official register of damaged sites. More than 10% of them have already been restored.
