This year, 22,200 first-graders will go to school in Lviv Oblast.
This was announced today, 28 August, at a briefing at the Lviv Oblast State Administration by Oleh Paska, Director of the Department of Education and Science of the Lviv Oblast State Administration.
The main points made during the briefing:
This year, 22,200 first-graders will sit down at their desks in Lviv Oblast.
In the 2024/2025 academic year, it is projected that there will be 1,081 general secondary education institutions in Lviv region (1,050 municipal institutions and 31 private institutions) with a student population of approximately 290,000.
Full-time education is planned in 1,000 schools and 925 kindergartens in the region.
Primary schools (104 institutions) are 100 per cent provided with shelters, lyceums (including institutions of I-III levels) (536 institutions) are 97 per cent provided with shelters, and gymnasiums (410 institutions) are 98 per cent provided with shelters. In preschool education institutions (nursery, kindergarten, kindergarten, etc.), it is planned to provide full-time education in 925 out of 936 institutions, and in 11 institutions – in a mixed format. The percentage of shelters is 98%.
Communally owned schools will use 610 simple shelters (including 24 in branches of general secondary education institutions), 102 radiation protection shelters, and agreements for shelters from other business entities have been concluded in 364 general secondary education institutions (including 65 in branches of general secondary education institutions).
In the academic year 2024/2025, 19 radiation protection shelters and 341 simple shelters will be used in municipally owned pre-school education institutions (without structural units of general secondary education institutions), and agreements for shelters with other business entities were concluded in 134 educational institutions.
According to preliminary information from local authorities, full-time education is planned in 1,000 municipally owned general secondary education institutions and 50 institutions in a mixed format. Primary schools (104 institutions) are 100% provided with shelters, lyceums (including institutions of I-III levels) (536 institutions) – 97%, gymnasiums (410 institutions) – 98%.
“As of 28 August, 50 secondary education institutions out of 1,050 have problems with how to start the educational process. Until recently, we used shelters on the ground floors, and these shelters complied with the regulations. The regulations have changed, and now 272 schools and 91 kindergartens would not be able to start the educational process if they did not solve this problem. 222 schools and 80 kindergartens have solved the problem of shelters in a very simple way – they have signed agreements with private, public or state institutions that have shelters nearby. There are still 50 schools that can study either remotely or in a mixed format.
We can say that all primary schools will be taught in person. And this is very important, because distance learning is not recommended for children up to grade 4,” said Oleg Paska.
From the second of September, the projected network will be reduced by 21 schools and 15 branches
The main reason for the closure is a drop in the birth rate, which leads to a decrease in the number of students in schools.
As a result of the network optimisation, 21 general secondary education institutions (GSEIs) and 15 branches are planned to be closed in 2024, as well as 21 GSEIs from I-III to I-II levels and 12 GSEIs from II to I levels + 2 branches. In some communities, consideration of the issue of closing or downgrading general secondary education institutions is scheduled for the third decade of August.
This year, UAH 123.034 million has been allocated from the state budget for the modernisation of “Defence of Ukraine” classrooms
In the Lviv region, 95 such projects have been formed for approval by the regional military administration, including 62 for implementation in territorial communities, 25 in vocational education institutions, and 5 in professional higher education institutions.
“This is not a new story for the Lviv Oblast. I would like to remind you that it was the Lviv region that started modernising the Defence of Ukraine classrooms two years ago, as soon as the war began. At the initiative of the Lviv Regional State Administration, the relevant changes were made to the Education Development Programme and funds were allocated…
The Ministry of Education supported the initiative of the Lviv region to allocate subventions for classrooms to vocational education institutions. There are a lot of our defenders who graduated from vocational schools, so we focused on these institutions,” said Oleg Paska.
100% of schools in Lviv region have been provided with generators for lighting and computer equipment, work to ensure uninterrupted educational process continues
Schools in the Lviv region are fully equipped with generators to organise the educational process and provide backup power supply in the event of emergency power outages. However, in order to meet the full demand for electrical capacity, in particular for the uninterrupted operation of boiler rooms, canteens, etc., there is a need to equip certain educational institutions with generators of the required capacity in the amount of 464 units (1171 units are available).
The work to meet the full demand for generators is ongoing.
As of 28 August, Lviv region is 90% supplied with textbooks
Textbooks are still expected to be delivered in the coming days.
“Textbooks are coming in fast. Our hub is working in an overloaded mode, because the network of educational institutions in Lviv region is one of the largest in Ukraine, so we ask communities to pick up textbooks on time,” added Oleh Paska.
The Director of the Department of Education also emphasised: “We do not recommend using the shelters of educational institutions for civilians, local governments should take care of the residents. It is necessary to ensure a safe educational environment for students and teachers. The relevant recommendation letter was sent to educational institutions.”
Pursuant to Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No. 434 of 29.11.02 “On Improving Outpatient Care for Children in Ukraine”, children of 5-6 years of age must undergo a medical examination by an ophthalmologist, otolaryngologist, orthopedic surgeon, endocrinologist, dentist, psychoneurologist, and psychologist once a year.
Students of general secondary education institutions must undergo a mandatory preventive medical examination and provide a certificate of a certain form to the educational institution. This is stated in the Order of the Ministry of Health No. 682 of 16.08.2010 “On Improving Medical Care for Students of General Education Institutions”.