---
title: "In-person learning under threat from power outages: how Ukrainian schools are preparing for the 2026/2027 school year"
description: "Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science confirmed: the in-person form of learning remains the priority for the 2026/2027 school year, with the format approved by the pedagogical council taking security into account. 5 billion hryvnias were allocated for shelters, and about 500 million for energy resilience."
date: 2026-09-01T16:02:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/in-person-school-learning-ukraine-shelters-power-outages-2026
tags: [ukraine-education, school-shelters, academic-year-2026, energy-resilience]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# In-person learning under threat from power outages: how Ukrainian schools are preparing for the 2026/2027 school year

![Students in a Ukrainian school classroom: a tired pupil holds his head while a teacher stands at the board — preparing for the 2026/2027 school year amid power-outage threats](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/01/ochnoe-obuchenie-shkol-ukraina-ukrytiya-2026/ochnoe-obuchenie-shkol-ukraina-ukrytiya-2026-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The in-person form of learning remains the priority for the 2026/2027 school year, but the format is approved by the pedagogical council taking local security into account.
- According to the Ministry of Education and Science, 90% of in-person schools have shelters, of which 10% are limited-use and need repair.
- 5 billion hryvnias were allocated for the construction and outfitting of shelters in schools.
- Nearly 500 million hryvnias in subventions were allocated for the energy resilience of educational institutions; all work must be completed by November 15, 2026.
- There is a discrepancy in the figures: the ministry cites 90% of schools with shelters, while UNN points to 82% of schools and up to 70% of learning at desks.

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, in a blitz interview for RBC-Ukraine, confirmed that the organization of the educational process for the 2026/2027 school year is built around one key principle: taking into account the security situation in each individual administrative-territorial unit. According to representatives of the ministry, the most optimal form of learning for students in Ukrainian schools remains in-person, but it is precisely the presence and quality of shelters that form the basis of a full-fledged in-person educational process. The working format of a specific institution is not set centrally but locally — by the pedagogical council of the institution, which reviews and approves the form of learning taking the local situation into account.

### Decisions are made locally: the role of the pedagogical council and the parent community

The Ministry of Education and Science (MES) emphasized that when preparing institutions for the new school year, special attention must be paid to ensuring safety and readiness for possible air raids. The ministry separately stressed the need for cooperation among military administrations, local self-government bodies, school leaders, and the parent community. It is precisely this coordination, according to the ministry's logic, that allows the format of classes to be flexibly adapted — from fully in-person to hybrid — depending on how stable the security situation is in a given region at the start of and during the school year.

### Shelters: 90% of in-person schools are ready, 10% need repair

As of the end of August 2026, according to MES data, 90% of Ukraine's general secondary education institutions operating in in-person format have shelters. The ministry clarified that 10% of these are limited-use shelters, meaning those that require major repair or reconstruction. According to ministry representatives, 5 billion hryvnias were allocated this year for the construction and outfitting of shelters in schools. This figure, in the ministry's assessment, reflects the scale of the state program to protect educational infrastructure amid ongoing air raid alerts.

### Energy resilience: 500 million hryvnias and a November 15 deadline

A separate direction in preparing for winter, the MES called ensuring the autonomous operation of educational institutions during prolonged power outages. In 2026, the government, according to ministry data, provided nearly 500 million hryvnias in subventions to ensure the energy resilience of educational institutions. All activities under this subvention, as the ministry summarized, must be completed by November 15, 2026 — that is, before the active phase of the autumn-winter period, when the risk of prolonged blackouts traditionally rises.

### Contradictory data

There are discrepancies between the official statements of the MES and the data of a number of Ukrainian media outlets regarding key figures on school readiness. In the blitz interview for RBC-Ukraine, the ministry reported that 90% of general secondary education institutions operating in in-person format have shelters. At the same time, the outlet UNN, referring to preparations for the school year, gives a different estimate: according to its data, shelters exist in 82% of schools (and in 83% of kindergartens), while up to 70% of schools will teach in in-person mode at desks. The difference in figures (90% vs. 82%) may be explained by different bases of calculation — in one version only institutions already operating in in-person format are counted, while in the other the entire school fund is included, including those switching to hybrid or remote mode. Nevertheless, both versions confirm that a significant share of schools (from 10% to 20%) still lack fully suitable shelters, and part of the learning may take place in a non-fully in-person format.

### Bottom line: safety as a condition for in-person learning

A summary of the MES positions allows the conclusion that in the 2026/2027 school year the state is betting on in-person learning as the priority format, but its actual implementation will be uneven across regions. The key limiting factors remain two: the presence of suitable shelters and the ability of schools to operate autonomously during power outages. The allocated 5 billion hryvnias for shelters and about 500 million hryvnias for energy resilience, along with the set deadline of November 15, 2026, form the time horizon by which schools must complete the main preparation for the autumn-winter period.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [In-person learning during the war: do schools have enough shelters for full operation](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ochne-navchannya-pid-chas-viyni-chi-vistachae-1788277342.html) - Первичный источник: блиц-интервью пресс-службы МОН. Подтверждены тезисы о приоритете очной формы, роли педагогического совета, 90% школ с укрытиями (в очном формате), 10% ограниченно пригодных, 5 млрд гривен на укрытия, ~500 млн гривен субвенции на энергетическую устойчивость и дедлайне 15 ноября 2026 года.
- [In-person learning to begin in schools of annexed Crimea: rations, 30-minute lessons and reinforced ...](https://ru.krymr.com/a/krym-news-shkola-obuchenie-mnenie/33843393.html) - Подтверждено по источнику ru.krymr.com
- [Up to 70% of schools will teach at desks, shelters exist in 82%, in kindergartens — in 83%: how it will start ...](https://unn.ua/ru/news/do-70percent-shkol-budut-obuchatsya-za-partami-ukritiya-yest-v-82percent-v-detskikh-sadakh-v-83percent-kak-nachnyotsya-uchebnii-god) - Указывает иную статистику: укрытия в 82% школ и 83% детских садов, до 70% обучения за партами. Цифры расходятся с данными МОН (90%), что отражено в разделе «Противоречивые данные».
- [How many schools are ready for the new school year: the Ministry of Education and Science named the number of shelters](https://society.comments.ua/news/science-and-learning/skolko-shkol-gotovo-k-novomu-uchebnomu-godu-v-mon-nazvali-kolichestvo-ukrytiy-814865.html) - Подтверждено по источнику society.comments.ua

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What form of learning will be the priority in Ukrainian schools in the 2026/2027 school year?
**A:** According to the Ministry of Education and Science, the in-person form remains the most optimal and priority one. However, the specific format for each institution is approved by its pedagogical council taking the security situation in the corresponding region into account.

### Q: How many Ukrainian schools have shelters?
**A:** The ministry reports that as of the end of August 2026, 90% of general secondary education institutions operating in in-person format have shelters, of which 10% are limited-use and require major repair or reconstruction. A number of media outlets (UNN) give a different estimate — 82% of schools.

### Q: How much money has been allocated for school shelters and energy resilience?
**A:** 5 billion hryvnias were allocated this year for the construction and outfitting of shelters in schools. The government provided nearly 500 million hryvnias in subventions to ensure the energy resilience of educational institutions.

### Q: By when must the school energy resilience work be completed?
**A:** All activities under the energy resilience subvention must be completed by November 15, 2026, that is, before the active phase of the autumn-winter period.