The school and educational path of Ukrainian children is threatened after two years of a pandemic followed by a Russian invasion which is ravaging their country, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday.
The children who remained in Ukraine and those who were forced to flee are starting a disrupted fourth school year, says UNICEF.
War and exile jeopardize the education and training of Ukraine’s 6.7 million young people between the ages of three and 18, said Regina De Dominicis, the fund’s regional director for Europe and Ukraine. ‘Central Asia.
These children show widespread signs of learning loss, including in their Ukrainian language proficiency, reading and math, she said after visiting Ukraine.
At a press briefing in Geneva, she said more than 1,300 schools have been “totally destroyed” while others are badly damaged and cannot be used.
“In Ukraine itself, attacks on schools continue, leaving children in deep distress and deprived of safe places to learn,” said the UNICEF official.
“This has not only forced Ukrainian children to struggle to progress in their education but also to not forget what they learned when their schools were functioning normally,” she said.
Data cited by Unicef ??reveals that about half of Ukrainian teachers reported a deterioration in the level of Ukrainian, mathematics and foreign languages ??of students.
They also show that only a third of Ukrainian students continued their studies entirely face-to-face, compared to a third partially and another third entirely remotely.
Finally, two thirds of preschool children are not socialized in establishments and even three quarters in areas close to the front.
As for the Ukrainian children who have left their country, UNICEF notes that they too are starting an uncertain school year, more than half of them not being enrolled in the school system of their host country, in particularly due to the language barrier, transport difficulties or the overloading of local establishments.
Students are trying to continue their schooling from a distance but “some refugee children may have completely abandoned their schooling”, regrets Unicef.
“In times of crisis or war, schools provide much more than a place of learning”, notes this international organization.
“They can provide children, already coping with loss, displacement and violence, with a sense of routine and security, a chance to make friends and be supported by teachers.”
School can also be a place for better nutrition, access to vaccines and other support, adds Unicef.
The organization says it works with partners in Ukraine and host countries to improve access to education, including renovating schools and organizing remedial classes.
The objective is to help 300,000 Ukrainian children who are at risk of losing educational achievements during the coming school year.
29/08/2023 15:31:11 – Geneva (AFP) © 2023 AFP
