Vatican City: Years of turmoil in Ukraine, marked by a relentless war and earlier pandemic lockdowns, have severely disrupted the education of millions of children, leading to widespread emotional instability and significant learning setbacks.
In an exclusive conversation with Vatican News, Laura Frigenti, Director-General of the Global Partnership for Education the world’s largest fund devoted to education outlined the alarming toll the conflict has taken on the country’s youngest generation. With five consecutive years without standard schooling, children across Ukraine are facing unprecedented educational and psychological challenges.
According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science, around 4.6 million children now face serious obstacles to accessing education, while 2 million have seen their schools shut down completely. Frigenti pointed to the physical destruction as only part of the crisis: “Half of the country’s educational infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed,” she explained, forcing many students into remote learning that is often hampered by power shortages and unreliable internet.
Beyond the crumbling classrooms and online barriers, the crisis has etched deeper scars into the emotional well-being of Ukrainian children. “Many of these children are experiencing serious emotional instability,” Frigenti noted. “They need more than just lessons they need psychological and emotional support to process the trauma and regain their capacity to learn.”
Efforts have been made to bring children together in person, to rebuild social skills and offer a sense of normalcy. But these initiatives remain fragile, often disrupted by ongoing bombings and security threats.
A 2025 survey by Plan International involving youth aged 15 to 24 found that one in five has lost between one to two years of formal education due to the war. Even more troubling, data shows that children in the 5th or 6th grades are struggling with basic literacy, unable to read effectively after years of disrupted online schooling. Rural students, in particular, are lagging behind some by as much as four to five academic years compared to their peers.
Facing a daunting educational crisis, the Ukrainian government has launched a strategy aimed not just at rebuilding schools but at reshaping the country’s education system to align with its broader goal of European integration. The plan focuses on equipping the next generation with the skills needed to contribute to Ukraine’s future within the European community.
Frigenti emphasized that while funding remains a critical hurdle, the government’s effort to engage the private sector and global partners is a hopeful sign. “They’re working to build a coalition around the table governments, businesses, civil society all to ensure that Ukraine’s children are not left behind,” she said.
As Ukraine’s battle for sovereignty continues, so too does its struggle to protect the minds and futures of its youth. In a country where education has become collateral damage, the road to recovery will require not just bricks and books, but healing hearts and restored hope.