Thirty-eight underground schools are being built in Kharkiv and the region, and seven other projects are being implemented with the support of international partners, Ukrainian Minister of Education and Science Oksena Lisovyi announced, quoted by Ukrinform, BTA reported.
“Last week I was on a working visit to Kharkiv region, which is currently implementing the largest number of projects for the construction of underground schools“, Lisovyi noted on the Facebook platform.
The minister noted that 38 underground schools in the city and region are currently under construction, financed under the “Offline School“ program, while seven other projects are being implemented with international support.
Within two days, Lisovyi visited 21 construction sites, and in five of them a full-fledged educational process is underway. The minister reports that the purpose of his visit was to assess the pace of work and determine the needs of the community before the budget for next year is formed, in particular, for the completion of the facilities planned for delivery by the end of this year.
Due to the proximity of the region to the front line, construction teams and communities are working in extremely difficult conditions - in multiple shifts, sometimes without electricity or communications, Lisovyi points out in the publication.
„They are doing everything possible to complete the facilities quickly and return the children to safe classrooms. This dedication and perseverance are the main reasons why the work does not stop even under shelling,“ the minister said.
He stressed that the underground schools are part of the state's systematic policy of restoring face-to-face education in safe conditions.
“Even in combat zones, children have the right to education and a normal school life. We plan to further expand the program so that every child in Ukraine can study face-to-face, together with their peers, in a safe environment,“ said Lisovyi.
Ukrinform notes that the first underground kindergarten in Ukraine is currently being built in the city of Pysochin, Kharkiv region.