From 1 September, new rules for organising distance learning will come into force in Ukraine. The Ministry of Education and Science has cancelled Order No. 1112 and removed a number of provisions from Order No. 1115 that made it difficult for children in temporarily occupied territories and internally displaced schoolchildren to access online lessons. The decision was made at the request of MPs and frontline communities, according to the Ministry of Education and Science.
Now schools will be able to open distance learning classes without having to form a full range of parallel classes. The minimum number of students required to create such a class is the same as for regular face-to-face or mixed classes — at least five children. Students from IDP families will be able to continue their education in their schools regardless of their location. At the same time, the activities of existing distance learning schools remain unchanged.
The Ministry of Education and Science emphasises that these changes do not cancel the safety requirements for face-to-face or blended classes: they are only possible if there is a shelter in the educational institution or within a radius of 500 metres. Educational institutions working with children in temporarily occupied territories will continue to be able to teach schoolchildren under pedagogical supervision, even without open classes. Students abroad can continue to acquire knowledge online through the full programme or through the Ukrainian studies component.
The Ministry emphasises that the aim of the changes is to preserve access to quality education for children regardless of their location, as well as to bring the regulatory framework into line with the realities of war and the needs of communities.
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