UNICEF on Tuesday warned that 11 months of Russian war in Ukraine had disrupted the education of more than five million children, calling for more “support to ensure learning opportunities” in the country and in host countries.
On the day of International Education Day, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) drew attention to the importance of “increasing international support to ensure that children are no longer left behind”, recalling that “the impact of 11 months of conflict has exacerbated the two years of lost learning due to the covid-19 pandemic” and the impact of “more than eight years of war on children in eastern Ukraine”.
“Schools and other early childhood education providers provide children with an essential sense of routine and security, and failure to learn can have lifelong consequences,” said Afshan Khan, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, quoted in the organization’s statement.
“There’s no pause button. It’s just not an option to postpone children’s education and return to it when other priorities have been addressed, without jeopardizing the future of an entire generation.” insisted.
According to the specialized UN agency “the continued use of explosive weapons – including in populated areas – has resulted in thousands of schools, kindergartens and other educational facilities across the country being damaged or destroyed” and at the same time “many parents and carers are reluctant to send children to school due to safety concerns”.
UNICEF estimates that two out of three Ukrainian refugee children are not in the host country’s education system
In the statement, UNICEF says that “within Ukraine, it is working with the government to help children return to school” – in classrooms, when they are considered safe, or through “online” or online alternatives. face-to-face learning is not possible”.
The organization indicates that until recently “more than 1.9 million children had access to ‘online’ learning opportunities and 1.3 million children participated in a hybrid system of face-to-face and ‘online’ classes”, but recent bombings of power plants and other energy infrastructure “caused widespread blackouts and left almost all children in Ukraine without permanent access to electricity, meaning even attending virtual classes is a constant challenge.”
Outside Ukraine, UNICEF continues, the situation is “equally concerning, with an estimated two out of three Ukrainian refugee children currently not enrolled in the host country’s education system”.
According to the UN agency, several factors contribute to this scenario, including overburdened educational structures and “the fact that at the beginning of the crisis and throughout the summer, many refugee families opted for ‘online’ learning rather than attending local schools because they hoped to be able to return home soon”.
In Ukraine, the organization calls for “an end to attacks against educational facilities and other civilian structures, including energy infrastructure, on which children and families depend.”
In countries hosting refugees, UNICEF calls for priority to be given to “integrating Ukrainian refugee children into national education systems at all levels of education, especially pre-primary and primary education – with qualified teachers, learning materials and spaces available to support their children .” face-to-face learning, development and well-being,” the note reads.
“It is important that relevant authorities identify and remove regulatory and administrative barriers that prevent children from accessing formal education at all levels, and provide clear and accessible information to refugee families,” the organization stressed, adding that “when access to the education system cannot be guaranteed immediately, UNICEF calls for the provision of multiple learning paths, especially for children of secondary school age”.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 has so far led to the flight of more than 14 million people — 6.5 million internally displaced persons and nearly eight million to European countries — according to the latest data from the UN, which classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
Currently, 17.7 million Ukrainians need humanitarian aid and 9.3 million need food aid and shelter.
Source: DN
