9 of 10 teachers say students falling behind – survey

More than 90% of polled teachers noted that the performance of Ukrainian students has worsened over the past two years, citing a lack of motivation, stress due to the war, and prolonged online learning as the main reasons.

This is evidenced by the results of a survey conducted at the end of the school year by Rakuten Viber and EdEra.

"Some 91% of surveyed Ukrainian teachers noted that students’ learning outcomes have deteriorated over the past two years. In a similar survey by Rakuten Viber and EdEra in 2024, 95% of educators held the same opinion. Educators draw conclusions based on their own observations, discussions with colleagues, declining grades, and student diagnostics performed," Rakuten Viber said in a report received by the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Monday.

It is reported that Rakuten Viber and the Ukrainian edtech company EdEra asked teachers whether, in their opinion, students’ learning outcomes had worsened over the past two years and how to make up for educational losses. According to the study, the main reasons why learning outcomes deteriorated are a lack of motivation to study among students (this answer was chosen by 71% of teachers), stress due to the war (69%), and prolonged online learning (54%). In the opinion of educators, responsibility for making up for educational losses lies, first of all, with the students themselves – 79.4% of respondents answered this way. In second place are parents (73.9%), and in third place are teachers (69.2%).

To improve learning outcomes, 86% of teachers additionally review material with students. Among the methods mentioned are also additional assignments / literature (43% of educators chose this answer) and extra classes (38%).

Educators also answered what actions beyond their control could help improve learning outcomes. In particular, 85% of teachers recommend independent study using open resources (video lessons, online courses, etc.). A third of respondents (37%) noted that increasing the number of school hours would help.

The survey was conducted by filling out an anonymous online questionnaire in the EdEra channel for teachers on Viber, with about 1,000 teachers surveyed. Respondents could choose multiple answers.