September 1 marked the first day of school in Ukraine. But schools did not open in the way anyone hoped. With attacks continuing to escalate, ORT schools in Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa were advised that only the newest first graders and graduating eleventh graders would mark the start of their year underground in shelters. Everyone else is back to online learning until further notice.
A child who started school in September 2019, at age 5 or 6, is now 12 or 13. Their entire education has unfolded between a pandemic and a war, one disruption folding into the next with barely a breath in between.
We recognize ORT Ukraine’s strength and resilience amid such unimaginable circumstances. Please join us in congratulating the schools, students, and families on the start of the new school year, as we take a look at these remarkable photos from their first day.
