---
title: "Ukraine's Ministry of Education allows schools to shorten lessons and adjust schedules during air alarms"
description: "Ukraine's Ministry of Education has published methodological recommendations allowing schools to shorten lessons and adjust schedules during prolonged air alarms. The ministry has not established any mandatory requirement to shorten all classes."
date: 2026-09-23T12:40:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/mon-allows-schools-shorten-lessons-during-air-alarms
tags: [ukraine-education, air-alarms, schools, mon-ukraine, war-education]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ukraine's Ministry of Education allows schools to shorten lessons and adjust schedules during air alarms

## 🎯 Key Points

- The MoE has allowed schools to adjust the duration of lessons and change schedules during prolonged air alarms, but has not established a mandatory requirement to shorten all classes
- Teachers may adapt the format and duration of lessons taking into account the psycho-emotional state of students after being in shelter
- In primary grades, changing the sequence of lessons is permitted, while in upper secondary schools the schedule may be adjusted based on scenarios worked out in advance
- 90% of Ukrainian schools have shelters or access to protective structures, providing the infrastructure foundation for the new recommendations

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has published methodological recommendations on organizing the educational process in conditions of prolonged and recurring air alarms. According to the document, schools are granted the right to adjust the duration of lessons and modify schedules, but the ministry does not establish any mandatory requirement to shorten all lessons. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing an official Ministry of Education (MoE) statement on Facebook. The recommendations were developed jointly with teachers, parent organizations, school principals, and heads of education departments, taking into account the fact that the security situation varies significantly across different communities.

### Flexibility in shelter conditions

If lessons are being held in a shelter, the teacher has the right to adjust their duration taking into account the age and psycho-emotional state of the students. In such cases, the educational material must be adapted so that students still achieve the outcomes prescribed by the educational program. It is specifically emphasized that if children have spent several hours in a shelter or have experienced nighttime shelling and are therefore exhausted, the teacher may also change the format of the lesson. At the same time, if the planned learning outcomes have already been achieved, part of the allocated time may be used for the psychological relief of the students.

### Schedule adjustments by level of education

A prolonged air alarm may lead to missed lessons, in which case schools are given the opportunity to adjust their schedules. For primary grades, it is possible to change the sequence of lessons so that after the alarm is lifted, more time can be devoted to subjects requiring concentration and direct work with the teacher. In basic and upper secondary schools, the schedule can also be changed, although school management is advised to work out various scenarios for its adjustment in advance. The sanitary regulations define the maximum duration of continuous educational activity, but this is an upper limit, not a mandatory length for each specific lesson.

### Legal basis and priorities

The legal basis for the flexible organization of the educational process is Article 16 of the Law of Ukraine "On Full General Secondary Education," which allows educational institutions to independently organize the educational process in accordance with the requirements established by law. The MoE emphasizes that the main priorities remain the safety and health of children, as well as the preservation of the quality of education. That is why the ministry recommends that schools plan in advance various scenarios for organizing education in case of prolonged alarms, rather than reacting to them improvisationally.

### Context: adaptive algorithms and infrastructure readiness

It was previously reported that schools in Kyiv will operate under adaptive algorithms during alarms: school administrations take into account various scenarios of the security situation, and distance lessons are paused for several minutes so that students and teachers can move to shelter, after which the lesson resumes. Overall, the educational process in the 2026/2027 academic year is to be carried out taking into account the security situation. As of the current moment, 90% of schools are equipped with shelters or have access to rented protective structures, which provides the infrastructure foundation for implementing the new methodological recommendations.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Lessons can be shortened, but not always: MoE explains new rules for schools](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/uroki-mozhna-skorochuvati-ale-zavzhdi-mon-1790166219.html) - Основной источник. Содержит полный текст сообщения МОН: условия корректировки уроков, правовые основания (ст. 16 закона), рекомендации по сценариям, данные об укрытиях (90%).
- [Lessons may become shorter: MoE explains when schools are allowed to change classes](https://tsn.ua/ru/ukrayina/uroki-mogut-stat-koroche-v-mon-obyasnili-kogda-shkolam-razresheno-menyat-zanyatiya-3174170.html) - Подтверждает ключевой тезис о праве школ менять занятия и отсутствии обязательного требования сокращать все уроки.
- [Alarm during a lesson: how Kyiv schools operate in in-person and distance learning](https://delo.ua/ru/news/trevoga-na-uroke-kak-rabotayut-kievskie-skoly-pri-ocnom-i-distancionnom-obucenii-472772/) - Подтверждает информацию об адаптивных алгоритмах киевских школ и приостановке дистанционных занятий на время перехода в укрытие.
- [Odesa schools must be ready for distance learning: Ministry of Education sets new ...](https://odessa-life.od.ua/news/shkoly-odessy-dolzhny-byt-gotovy-k-distanczionnomu-obucheniyu-minobrazovaniya-opredelilo-novye-pravila) - Подтверждает региональный аспект: необходимость готовности к дистанционному формату и новые правила Минобразования для школ Одесской области.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Are Ukrainian schools required to shorten all lessons during an air alarm?
**A:** No. The MoE does not establish a mandatory requirement to shorten all classes. Schools are given the right to adjust the duration of lessons and change schedules, but the decision is made taking into account the specific security situation and the condition of the students.

### Q: What can a teacher do if a lesson is being held in a shelter?
**A:** The teacher may adjust the duration of the lesson taking into account the age and psycho-emotional state of the students, adapt the educational material, and change the format of the lesson if necessary. If the learning outcomes have already been achieved, part of the time can be used for psychological relief.

### Q: Can the sequence of lessons be changed in primary grades?
**A:** Yes. In primary grades, the sequence of lessons may be changed so that after the alarm is lifted, more time can be devoted to subjects requiring concentration and direct work with the teacher.

### Q: What is the legal basis for the flexible organization of the educational process?
**A:** Article 16 of the Law of Ukraine "On Full General Secondary Education" allows educational institutions to flexibly organize the educational process in accordance with the requirements established by law. In addition, the sanitary regulations define the maximum, but not mandatory, duration of continuous educational activity.

### Q: How many Ukrainian schools are ready to operate under alarm conditions?
**A:** According to data for the 2026/2027 academic year, 90% of schools are equipped with shelters or have access to rented protective structures.