The Government of Ukraine has decided to retain a separate monthly top-up of 2,600 hryvnias for teachers working in frontline territories. This was announced by Prime Minister Serhiy Hordiienko, according to RBC-Ukraine. According to him, the payment is provided for 23,600 teachers in 614 schools that hold classes in person or in a mixed format. As the head of the Cabinet of Ministers emphasized, supporting residents of frontline territories remains one of the government's key priorities, despite limited financial resources.
The government's decision and its scale
The decision to retain the top-up will affect more than twenty thousand teachers employed in 614 educational institutions in frontline regions. Importantly, the payment is not tied exclusively to the in-person format: teachers working in a mixed mode are also entitled to it. This takes into account the actual organization of the educational process in conditions where some classes may be held remotely for safety reasons. Thus, the state acknowledges the additional effort of teachers who continue to work in a difficult environment at the front.
Funding mechanism and reallocation of funds
To ensure the payments, the Cabinet of Ministers reallocated additional financial resources. According to the Prime Minister's statement, this will allow the state to fully settle with teachers for the time actually worked in the previous academic year and guarantee the top-up through the end of the current 2026 year. The phrasing "despite limited financial resources" indicates that retaining the payment required a targeted reallocation of funds within the budget, rather than an increase in spending. For readers, this means that the top-up was not cancelled or frozen; on the contrary, it has been secured for the entire remaining period of the year.
Working conditions for teachers at the front
In addition to financial support, special conditions for organizing the educational process apply to teachers in frontline territories. In particular, teachers have the right to shorten lessons to 35 minutes if they notice that students are tired. Moreover, teachers may change the order of subjects in the timetable. These measures are aimed at adapting schools to safety conditions and reducing the burden on children in an unstable environment, where classes may be interrupted due to air-raid alerts.
Safety in schools: Ministry of Education data
The context of the Cabinet's decision is complemented by data from the Ministry of Education and Science. The Ministry recently noted that the organization of the educational process in the 2026/2027 academic year must take the safety situation into account. According to available information, currently 90% of general secondary education institutions are equipped with shelters or have access to rented protective structures. This indicates that retaining the teachers' top-ups is part of a broader state policy to keep schools operating in frontline zones against the backdrop of the new academic year.
