According to the Minister of Education and Science, Serhiy Shkarlet, the purpose of such a lesson is to foster a sense of pride and belonging among the Ukrainian people, resisting the influence of propaganda pedaled by the Russian invaders.
In some instances, lessons took place inside schools, but in others were held online for those living in areas daily hit by Russian shelling.
In the summer, the government’s education ministry determined how institutions will operate in the new academic year, with a focus on reinstalling an education system as close to normality as possible. Schools located in places experiencing hostilities, however, will teach children remotely. In safer areas of Ukraine there will be two types of training – offline training and mixed, whereby children will either go to school as usual or will study remotely for a week and then physically attend school for a week, on a rotating basis. This decision was heavily influenced by the capacity of bomb shelters in schools.
Pupils are now being taught safety procedures relating to explosive devices. (Photo by Daryna Kolomiiets).