Education Ombudsman Nadiia Leshchyk has called for no reduction in 2027 state budget spending on the construction of shelters at educational institutions.
"We are seeing a deterioration in the security situation due to frequent air raid alerts both in Kyiv and in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr and other regions. Children are forced to spend most of their school time in shelters, where it is often impossible to fully organize the educational process. As a result, educational institutions have to switch to remote or blended learning, which reduces the quality of education and affects children's psychological state and socialization," the ombudsman's statement said.
She said the 2027 state budget draft provides for only UAH 3.7 billion, compared with UAH 6 billion in 2026, including UAH 5 billion for general secondary education institutions and UAH 1 billion for preschool education institutions.
Leshchyk therefore called for shelter funding to be maintained at last year's level and, if possible, increased in 2027 compared with 2026.
She also called for consideration of extending such shelter subsidies beyond general secondary education institutions to vocational education institutions, as training for a skilled profession is difficult to provide remotely.
"Funding for shelters at preschool education institutions should also continue, as this ensures children's access to preschool education and enables parents to work, supporting our country's economy," the statement said.
In addition, she proposed that communities exchange experience on the procedures for obtaining and allocating subsidies among educational institutions and using the funds, including through training, so that communities ultimately take up the available shelter funding and build the facilities.
"Creating a safe educational environment and protecting the lives and health of participants in the educational process should be one of the priorities of state policy when implementing the right to education under martial law," the ombudsman said.
As reported, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Education, Science and Innovation opposes reducing the subsidy for the construction of shelters at educational institutions from UAH 6 billion in 2026 to UAH 3.7 billion in 2027.
