A large-scale reduction of schools has been announced in Ukraine: the reason has been named.

The Ministry of Education in Ukraine proposes to reduce the number of schools due to a decrease in the number of first-graders. Deputy Minister Halina Kuzmychova reported that a 30% decrease in the number of first-graders is expected by 2029. For this reason, the Ministry plans to optimize the school network. Kuzmychova also emphasized the positive impact of reducing the number of schools on the quality of education.

'The number of children currently studying in the first grade compared to those studying in the seventh grade is less than 30%. And if we take the birth statistics of recent years, by 2029, there will be 30% fewer children entering the first grade than those currently studying in the first grade. Based on this data, we must build our future infrastructure policy,' she said.

Currently, more than 13,000 schools are operating in Ukraine, but many of them are not fully filled with students, which negatively affects the quality of education. Reducing the number of schools is expected to help address this issue. Local administrations should focus on closing unnecessary schools and optimizing the education system while considering the quality of education provided to children.

The Deputy Minister of Education noted that the main reason for the decrease in the population is the war. Many mothers are forced to leave the country with their children. Most of them do not plan to return, as their children have successfully adapted to the education systems of other countries. Instead of quantity, quality human capital is important, so the problem of declining education quality is becoming very relevant for Ukraine.

Earlier, it was reported who among Ukrainians would receive 1000 hryvnias from the state.