The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has prepared methodological recommendations for schools on how to operate during air raid alerts. The document describes three formats of learning – in-person, blended, and distance – and sets a requirement for each institution: to develop and approve its own local algorithm for transitioning between them depending on the security situation. Minister of Education Andrii Butenko confirmed that the recommendations have already been sent to the regions.
What the school's local algorithm should include
Before approving the algorithm, the school administration is obliged to assess the actual capabilities of the institution: the capacity of the shelter and its suitability for classes, the availability of electricity and internet, backup power sources, and technical readiness for a quick transition to a distance format. It is recommended to involve teachers and parents in the discussion of the document.
The algorithm itself should answer nine questions:
what learning models the school will apply;
under what conditions the transition between them will occur;
how many students and staff can safely be in the premises simultaneously;
how to organize classes during an alert;
what to do if the alert started before the beginning of the school day;
how to act in case of prolonged or repeated alerts;
how to transition between in-person and distance formats;
how to combine synchronous and asynchronous learning;
what to do in the absence of electricity, internet, or mobile communication.
Three models: conditions and limitations
The in-person model is applied when the security situation allows students and staff to safely reach the school, and the number of attendees does not exceed the capacity of the protective structure. If there are not enough places in the shelter for everyone, the institution can organize alternating classes, several shifts, or blended schedules with a parallel distance format for some students. The duration of in-person classes can be shortened if necessary, but by no more than 50%.
The blended model is appropriate when in-person learning is generally possible, but the school cannot cover all students at once. In this case, institutions can alternate in-person and distance days or weeks, set different schedules for separate parallel classes, and conduct part of the work asynchronously. At the same time, the recommendations warn against a situation where a teacher simultaneously conducts a lesson for part of the class in the auditorium and for another part online: such a format is considered undesirable.
The distance model is introduced if the security situation makes physical presence at school impossible. The institution must provide a single digital environment where students can find schedules, links to online classes, educational materials, recordings of missed lessons, and feedback from teachers. An alert during a distance lesson does not mean its automatic termination – students and teachers move to a safe place, after which the lesson can continue online if technically possible. For those who cannot join due to being in a shelter or lack of connection, asynchronous learning must be available: recordings, materials for self-study, and teacher consultations.
Alert before the start of the day and prolonged alerts
If an alert is announced before the start of the school day, students and staff do not go to school. Classes begin remotely according to a pre-prepared schedule, and teachers conduct them from a safe place. The school can set a control time: if the all-clear is announced before it – the administration informs about the transition to the in-person format; if the alert lasts longer – the day remains remote.
A separate rule applies to prolonged alerts: if over several consecutive days their total duration within the school day exceeds two hours, the school is recommended to immediately transition to a pre-prepared learning model in a shelter or distance format.
Educational hubs for schools without sufficient conditions
If a particular institution cannot consistently organize learning due to a lack of necessary conditions, the founder has the right to designate other buildings or institutions as educational hubs. Such platforms can be used by teachers for conducting online classes, by students without a safe or technically equipped place at home, and by entire classes or groups if the main school premises are temporarily inaccessible. Mandatory conditions for a hub are a safe environment with access to a shelter, stable electricity, internet, and proper conditions for the educational process.
Andrii Butenko emphasized: schools received not one rigid instruction, but tools for choosing a solution according to their own conditions.
