Re Education : Issue #26 - Ukraine : Schooling goes underground
Learning as an act of resistance
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Hope just means another world might be possible, not promised, not guaranteed. Hope calls for action; action is impossible without hope.
Rebecca Solnit
The New Underground Resistance
Introduction
“One time”, says Natalia, describing the unsettling experience of online teaching in Ukraine, “a teacher asked a student, a little bit rudely I may say, to please speak more loudly. She did not realise the student was in the occupied territories. Without speaking, the student turned on her camera and angled the screen a little so the teacher could see the Russian tank right behind her, outside her window. I’ve never been so frightened in all my life.”
This month’s focus is on the extraordinary dedication and courage of teachers, students and parents in Ukraine in continuing their education under conditions of war.
People unfamiliar with Ukraine, but following the conflict, will know some place names : Kyiv, Lviv, Mariupol, perhaps Bakhmut and Bucha – and Zaporizhzhia. The latter because of the nuclear power plant that has been at the centre of international concerns that Russian attacks on it could imperil the whole region.
A native of Zaporizhzhia, Dr. Natalia Gutaruk is an English teacher and Shakespeare specialist who works at an underground school in Zaporizhzhia city only 40km from the front line.
In November she visited the UK with Zoya Lytvyn, Founder of Osvitoria, an NGO working with the Ukrainian government providing online education to more than 2m Ukrainian students at home and in the 130 countries now housing refugees.
Osvitoria was also the founder of the Global Teacher Prize Ukraine and in 2022, just months after the invasion, Zoya gave a very powerful TED Talk (7m) on the importance of education in Ukraine.
Art meets Life
We spoke at the launch of new film, commissioned by Osvitoria, called “Timestamp” (official trailer below). It’s a quietly understated and elegiac film that, without narration, documents the “ordinariness” of learning in schools as far as 300km from the front line and as close as 18km, where air raids are a frequent occurrence.
The film stays with you long after the credits, chiefly because it challenges your expectations. Director Kateryna Gornostai deliberately framed it both as art and understated polemic (it has been nominated in five film festivals already). There are no explosions, no videos of drones or guns, only the impacts of war on students, teachers and parents. The silent tears of a daughter at her mother’s funeral (a headteacher, the only casualty of an attack), lingering shots of empty corridors and classrooms, the frustration of a teacher trying to get children into a bunker when the air raid siren has sounded.
Some of the schools in the film are representative of a new phenomenon in Ukraine - schools purpose-built underground. Natalia’s school, Sichovyi Collegium, became one such school in January 2025.
The phoney war…
Founded after Ukraine’s independence, Sichovyi Collegium was designed as a boarding school for talented students from remote rural areas. “The aim was to create equal opportunities for students from villages to enter prestigious universities,” Natalia explains. The school’s ethos, she says, was shaped by its former principal, Valentyna Yershova, who moved from western Ukraine and saw the need to bridge regional differences. “Our motto is: everything you do, you do for yourself, your family, your community, and your country. It’s a constant thread through all our activities.”
When Covid struck, the school was well-placed to adapt. “We had already been involved in international projects—eTwinning, for example—so we were familiar with online platforms like Zoom, Google Classroom, and Teams.” Within days of the lockdown announcement, lessons had moved online. “We didn’t have trouble changing to online education.”
Osvitoria too responded to the moment of Covid, understanding that more was needed than the sporadic TV programmes which had been the government’s initial response. Osvitoria’s agility was crucial, says Zoya : “Government is less agile… education is too important to leave only to the government. It has to be a public-private partnership”.
..and then the real one
When the war came, it’s suddenness upended everything, Natalia remembers : “On the first day of the invasion, all the teaching staff were at school because students lived there during the week. We had to contact parents and help students get home.” For the first two weeks, lessons stopped as families relocated, sometimes abroad.
Paradoxically, the experience of Covid made the transition to war-time teaching and learning simpler. Gradually, as communication resumed, and students settled to online learning, Natalia began using materials from the Anne Frank Institute, based on the experiences of people who faced active military actions, to help students process their experiences.
“I asked my students to write: what would you like to say to yourself in two years, in ten years, or to the world? It was therapeutic for them.” By mid-March, formal teaching resumed online, with materials designed for both synchronous and asynchronous learning.
Osvitoria’s online platform also responded quickly and has become a key lifeline for students and teachers, with the NGO becoming the government’s largest partner in education reform. Zoya describes how, at the onset of the full-scale invasion “we had half a million learners on the platform connecting from bomb shelters, from different cities. And now we have almost 2 million active users connecting Ukrainians in 130 countries in the world”.
Learning in the Shadows
But, impressive as this is, Natalia and Zoya are both sensitive to the highly precarious situation of the students and teachers in the occupied territories. Not only are schools in occupied areas required to teach the Russian curriculum, but Russia has forcibly deported and adopted over 20,000 Ukrainian children, a war crime according to the UN.
Natalia points out that : “Those in occupied areas had to be very careful, deleting everything from their phones and laptops after sessions to avoid punishment. If they joined lessons, they kept their cameras off and their voices low, like the girl with the tank behind her.”
Zoya adds “On our platform we can see that, on average, 36,000 people are learning in those territories occupied by Russia since 2022. We keep in touch with some of the teachers, some escape, with others we lost contact”. She tells the story of a teacher whose son was kidnapped by Russian forces pressuring him to return to teaching at the local school. Late that night he and his family managed to flee to safety in Ukrainian held territory.
Fear is not the only motivator. In perhaps a world-beating example of determination to be at your own graduation, Natalia recounts how : “One girl in the occupied territories graduated school with flying colours and our city council invited her to the official graduation. It took her eleven days to travel 40 km. Not eleven hours, eleven days. She and her parent had to move very slowly from one checkpoint to another. People needed to wait in huge queues at each checkpoint. Some chose to take short-cuts across the fields, but they risked being blown up by mines.”
Going Underground
The decision to build an underground school for Sichovyi Collegium came from the local authorities. “They’re risk-takers, but it was a smart move” says Natalia. “If parents feel their children are safe and learning, they can work, and the city doesn’t empty out.” The new school was completed in record time, less than a year, opening in January 2025. “At first, we had three or four lessons a day, with a flexible timetable” says Natalia. “It was challenging—online and offline lessons, only one school bus, and parents wary of public transport between home and school because of the danger of drone strikes. But, the quality of homework and interaction improved dramatically compared to online learning.”
And, while the initial motivation was partly about keeping the economy going, educational considerations were equally important. The desire to be in human contact, to be face to face with teachers and friends, is powerful. There are now 15 underground schools in the region and ten more planned.
This year Sichovyi Collegium has nearly 300 students, down from 500 before the war. “We lost many students—some are abroad, some in occupied territories. The ministry now requires students to attend school where they live, so we have more local children and no boarding facilities” says Natalia.
What did it feel like, teaching underground ? Natalia, who initially had worries about light and air quality, says “Our old building was basic, but cosy. The new space is modern, bright, and well-equipped—interactive boards, 14 rooms, everything you need. I can teach students in the classroom and online at the same time.” The atmosphere, she says, is positive. “At first, only 100 students came, but numbers grew as word spread. We agreed not to have tests in offline lessons, only to test online, to keep things fair for everyone.”
Students, Natalia noted, appreciate the human connection. “They say the only downside is too much attention—if they haven’t learned something, it’s obvious! But there are games in the corridors, and staff help students socialise again. Even shy children are drawn in.” That sense of normalcy and energy is palpable in this lively 1.5 min video, made by some of the students.
Underground - where green shoots germinate
Does the construction of more underground schools suggest an acceptance that the war will continue? Natalia shrugs : “We’re realists. We don’t have illusions it will end soon. But people are returning from abroad, despite the difficulties. There’s a demand for education here.”
Zoya agrees and emphasises Ukraine’s digital leadership: “Ukraine is super digital. According to OECD recent research, we are the absolute leaders, not out of choice, but out of necessity”. She highlights the importance of documenting crisis-response lessons and the growing interest among young people in teaching: “More young people want to be teachers because they see a great opportunity to positively influence education through working with the younger generation”.
Natalia echoes this sentiment and reflects on the psychological burden on teachers. “Teachers return because they have a feeling that a future exists. Sometimes students have no motivation, but we try to instil a strategic mindset, to get them to think ahead.”
How would they want to see education develop when the fighting stops ? Zoya pauses with a quizzical look : “That’s a strange question” she says “because I think our education has kept on developing, despite everything : we never stopped. I just think we could all maybe pause development a little bit and teachers could have a proper vacation and a chance to appraise themselves. Children could have proper holidays with plenty of uninterrupted sleep !”
“We’ll need to cover educational gaps after the war,” reflects Natalia, “but we tell students : you are the ones who will rebuild Ukraine.”
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Screenings of “Timestamp” are planned in the USA as follows :
17th, 21st and 22nd December at Claremont and Encino CA ; Santa Monica ; Newhall Glendale CA and NoHo 7, North Hollywood, CA. The film will be released in Amazon Prime in the US on 19th December, timetable for other countries not yet known.
Links :
Ukraine’s Fight to Keep Educating Its Children | Zoya Lytvyn | TED
Education goes underground in Ukraine: ‘We have to get children back to school’
Zaporizhzhia Builds Underground Schools to Ensure Safe Education - Oj
Sichovyi Collegium School website
Sichovyi Collegium School Facebook
News
Since October 10th UNICEF report that, in this “ceasefire”, at least 70 children have been killed in Gaza.
Disturbingly, Francesca Albanese, special rapporteur for the UN on Palestine, has been personally sanctioned by the US for calling out Israel’s actions in Gaza. She can’t get healthcare or operate a bank account in the US and is restricted even in other countries. See this 1 min video.
Who favours the Welsh ? The award-winning film “The Voice of Hind Rajab” is due to be released on January 16th in the UK, but if you are near Cardiff there is a screening on 18th December ; get in quick. In the USA and Saudi it’s released on December 17th. For everyone else, here’s the trailer. Streaming in March / April – about 6 months too late.
Good news for Nigeria. Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and Chairman of the Dangote Group is donating $700m over ten years for education access and skills training.
After the news in my last issue that rumours were circulating that OPM were following Cambridge Education in getting out of global education, the company wrote to say that they are restructuring, and that : “We continue to deliver all our existing education programmes, and we remain actively engaged in developing new opportunities with our partners and funders.” But, they also declined to say how many of the 20 staff listed under education on their website would continue after the restructure. Draw your own conclusions.
But, I don’t want to single OPM out, they have, to their credit, responded publicly. Many others have been quietly letting education staff go. I hear that at another UK-based education provider nearly 40% of education staff have been axed. Why does this lack of publicity matter ? Because it lets the politicians who have taken these decisions avoid facing any of their consequences. If you know of education staff being let go as a result of UK cuts, let me know, all off the record.
GPE launched its 5th replenishment fund call in London fronted by CEO Laura Frigenti. You have to admire the chutzpah in seeking the same amount, $5bn, as they sought in the 4th replenishment – when donors had much more money and we were just coming out of Covid.
For the 4th round Boris Johnson addressed the London launch (and then disappointed by giving only £340m ; typical). This year, in a sign of the massively reduced commitment to education, there was a video message from Minster Chapman which was strong on fulsome praise for education, while blithely ignoring the fact that her government has made the largest cuts to global education of any government in recent times. GPE’s strapline this round is “Multiply possibility” (with a rather despairing “Fund Education” subtitle) - they must be praying for a loaves and fishes kind of multiple. It’s hard not to be cynical, but I wish them good luck.
Development
Some positive news amongst all the gloom. Hetal Thukral posted on LinkedIn that the efforts of a few dedicated ex-USAID staff have saved 1,000 USAID education datasets worldwide. Hats off to them. Well done also to the University of Michigan for hosting the data and to University of Cape Town. A heart-warming antidote to the casual and destructive impulses of those latter-day philistines.
The news that Michael and Susan Dell are set to give $6.25bn to child savings accounts in the US has set off a flurry of articles about the merits of “cash transfers” around the world – e.g. see this comment from Give Directly CEO Nick Allardice. Expect more of this distraction from the real issue of the growth in wealth inequality as highlighted in Jake Ross’s post two months ago.
Ken Opalo, always interesting, has a very helpful summary of the articles devoted to development in the latest issue of Foreign Affairs. If you can’t afford the £20 cover price, Ken’s summary will give you the gist.
AI Spy
The Economist has a well-written feature article on AI and childhood this month. Among the interesting points it raises was the fact that China’s recent ban on the use of after-school tutors led to a rise in AI tutors. All the big AI firms are launching AI modes that encourage learning by guiding children, not by giving answers – but you have to activate them.
AI in Education Podcast is a good source for those trying to keep up with the tools available to schools. It’s run out of Australia where one of the hosts works for Microsoft education - but it roams world-wide. They highlight Notebook LM as one of the standout education AI products this year. I’ve featured it before on it’s ability to make a podcast from a paper. It’s now added explainer videos and infographics. The AI in Education podcast put their latest podcast audio into Notebook LM and this is the graphic it spat out a few minutes later. Astonishing.
Voices from the front
Ghana has mandated the use of local languages in basic education with immediate effect. This aligns with all the evidence on making education accessible to young children. Rwanda, which in 2019 introduced a policy of transitioning to English language instruction, remains committed to this course – though without a clear timetable. Which will fare better ? It may take a generation to find out.
Education Outcomes Fund has published the results for their $18m programme in Sierra Leone (SLEIC). “Nuanced but significant” they say. Results were impressive for Maths (0.284 SD) less so for English (0.102 SD). For my overall assessment of Outcomes Based Financing (OBF) see here. Questions still remain - why is this better than grants / loans and, factoring in all costs (including EOF’s), is this more cost effective ?
Interesting that Rising Academies, part of SLEIC, posted much more significant results than the overall figures : 0.38 SD on Maths and 0.29 SD on English (so one or more groups were dragging averages down). This post from Paul Skidmore outlines what Rising Academies feels it got from the programme - was this a common view across all providers ? I trust, in the spirit of transparency, EOF will publish all the individual results and the lessons of where it didn’t work so well too - that would provide real learning.
Voices from the rear
(Gray and Published Research)
In one article a great round-up of research from CGD with several papers focused on early childhood education and education generally : What’s the Latest Research on Human Development in Economics? A Roundup from NEUDC 2025 | Center For Global Development
The UKFIET website is always rich with education blogs – and the months following the biennial Oxford Conference even more so. Which is why it would have been easy to miss this thoughtful reflection by Geneviève Greer called “The balancing act between agency and complicity” on an uncomfortable Q&A session where questioners challenged the conference committee on why they allowed Amazon Web Services to provide sponsorship “as they are accused of complicity in the genocide in Gaza”.
Greer’s reflection is measured. She says, “Most of us are neither victims nor perpetrators but implicated”, and outlines the many ways researchers, teachers, and even the victims of oppression calling for justice rely on the same systems accused of complicity in that oppression. She provides a helpful taxonomy of injustice calling for a “polyphony” of voices and stories to make people aware of the complicated personal and social issues. Well worth reading.
Holiday reading / listening
Wishing you an enjoyable holiday season if you are having one. Here’s a few ideas for reading / listening.
Podcasts : I highly recommend the podcast “Shell Game” by journalist Evan Ratliff. The latest season takes us into the nascent world of agentic AI – coming to you soon whether you want it or not. You thought hallucinations were bad, wait ‘til you have an AI agent calling you at 2 a.m. to set up an interview !
Another great listen is “Fela Kuti : Fear No Man” a fascinating exploration of the life and music of one of Nigeria’s greatest musicians.
Books : “One Day, when it’s safe, when there is no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it’s too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this”. by Omat El Akkad. Fluid, engaging prose and a wealth of stories wrapped inside a burning polemic – extremely good.
Films : “The Thinking Game” for a positive view of AI’s potential to solve world problems. On my list, but not yet seen, “Palestine 36”, also a Francesca Albanese recommendation.
And finally
You have been warned…..
A milestone marked. A heartfelt “Thank you 🙏🙏 !” to all my subscribers. Click the button below to share with others you think may be interested.
Duncan Green posted this lovely “what they say vs what they mean” table for academics – ring true anyone ? !
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a wonderful read!