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Toronto, ON, February 20, 2025 — Five consecutive years of disrupted schooling in Ukraine is having devastating consequences on children’s development and mental well-being warns Plan International. As the war enters its fourth year, the global children’s rights organization calls for more support for students to continue their studies.

For nearly five years, children in Ukraine have faced significant barriers to learning, starting with the two years lost to the COVID-19 pandemic and followed by the ongoing conflict.

More than three million children have been forced from their homes since the escalation of war on February 24, 2022. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science, around 4.6 million children in Ukraine face barriers to education and two million of them have seen their school close down.

Nearly a third (30%) of the country’s educational facilities have been damaged, and more than 365 schools have been destroyed. For children who have access to online education, power outages, limited internet access and other technical difficulties, further hamper their ability to learn. As a result, learning gaps continue to grow, leaving many children struggling academically.

When children cannot attend school, they often develop speech problems requiring the support of a speech therapist. Multiple testimonies by teachers warn that certain pupils in grades 5-6 (aged 10-12) are unable to read or hold a pen and write correctly.

“For Ukrainian children, education is a distant dream,” said Anastasiia Parubets, Plan International’s Education in Emergencies specialist in Ukraine. “Years of war have forced countless students out of classrooms, isolating them from their peers and depriving them of the stability that schooling provides. In frontline areas, children haven’t attended school in person for up to five years, relying entirely on online learning – if they have access at all.”

“Even where schools can remain open, the constant threat of air raids forces lessons to be interrupted, with children in Kyiv alone enduring more than 1,711 hours of alarms – the equivalent of more than 71 days – since the full-scale war began. The consequences are far more than academic; children are missing out on vital social development, leaving them struggling with the emotional toll of war.”

A survey of 1,000 15- to 24-year-olds in Ukraine by Plan International found that one in five (19.8%) have missed between one and two years of education as a result of the war.

“Some children in 5th or 6th grade are unable to read because study materials have moved online, and they cannot learn to read word by word without the help of teachers and textbooks,” said Parubets.

The situation is even more severe for children in rural areas, where the learning gap has widened significantly. Another study revealed that children living in villages were, on average, four to five years behind their peers.

Equally concerning are the profound mental health consequences of this educational disruption, Plan International warns. Millions of children are experiencing high levels of trauma, anxiety, and depression, as well as difficulty concentrating and processing emotions.

These psychological challenges – exacerbated by the constant threat of airstrikes, the loss of family members, and the destruction of homes – often go unaddressed due to limited resources and support services.

“We cannot underestimate the long-term impact of this crisis on children’s well-being,” said Sven Coppens, Plan International’s Director of the East and Central Europe Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Response. “For many, the war is not just a physical threat but a psychological one, with lasting effects on their emotional and cognitive development.”

“Disruptions to education mean children are not only missing out on learning – they are losing vital opportunities to socialize, express themselves, and process the trauma they are enduring. This is an emergency for their mental health.”

Plan International and its partners have been responding to the crisis by transforming bomb shelters into safe learning spaces, where children have access to catch-up classes, speech therapists, and psychologists.

“Our goal is not only to provide education but to create spaces where children can meet each other, rebuild trust and regain a sense of normalcy,” said Parubets.

In 2025, an estimated 12.7 million people in Ukraine will need humanitarian assistance, including almost two million children. For many, education is a lifeline, providing stability, security and hope. Investing in education, mental health, and child protection is critical to Ukraine’s recovery, ensuring children receive the support they need to rebuild their lives and shape the country’s future.

Children, especially girls, are the most at risk in humanitarian emergencies and the most overlooked. Help us respond to their needs.

Donate now to the Children in Crisis Response Fund.

NOTES TO EDITORS: Plan International’s response in Ukraine has reached nearly 900,000 individuals, including 320,000 people with urgent humanitarian aid. Of these, 193,000 are girls and 158,000 are boys. In 2025, our response will continue to focus on aid for all children, mental health support, restoring access to education and child protection services.

Education remains severely disrupted in Ukraine, with 3,798 educational facilities damaged by bombing and shelling, including 365 that were completely destroyed, leaving children with limited learning opportunities.

About Plan International Canada

Plan International Canada is a member of a global organization dedicated to advancing children’s rights and equality for girls. Plan International has been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years and is now active in more than 80 countries.

We stand with children, especially girls, wherever they are oppressed, exploited, left behind or not equally valued. We’re determined optimists and will continue to persevere until we are all equal.

Visit plancanada.ca for more information.

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