Distance learning in 2025: what new rules will come into effect in September

Starting September 1, 2025, updated rules for distance learning will come into effect in Ukraine. Here's how distance learning will work in the new school year

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With the start of the new school year in Ukraine, updated rules for schools operating in a distance learning format will come into force.

The Ministry of Education and Science (MES) has adapted the regulatory framework to the conditions in which thousands of children are studying due to the war, leaving the country, or the danger of attending offline schools.

The changes are meant to make distance learning more accessible and better, especially for students in frontline regions, temporarily occupied territories, and Ukrainians abroad.

MES updates distance learning: what's changing for students and teachers

Minimum number of students in a class

From now on, a distance learning class must have at least:

20 students — in general;

15 — for cities;

10 — for rural areas, temporarily occupied and frontline territories.

This will simplify the opening of online classes in communities where some children have left or are unable to attend school in person.

Flexibility in forming parallel classes

Schools are now allowed to form remote classes that are not necessarily parallel. For example, a school may have online classes 1, 2, 3, and 5, but not 4 or 7. This decision is intended to reduce the administrative burden and allow the educational process to be adapted to real needs.

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Separate classes for children abroad

Students who are outside Ukraine can study in a separate distance learning class with a Ukrainian studies component. This will allow them to maintain contact with the Ukrainian language, history, and culture, even while abroad.

Staff reserve for teachers

Teachers who are temporarily out of work will be able to join a personnel reserve. To do so, they will need to undergo training, after which they will be able to receive an average salary. This applies primarily to teachers from de-occupied and frontline regions, where schools are not always able to function fully.

Educational patronage — even for a single child

Even if a school does not have a single class, it can operate in the form of educational patronage. This means that a teacher works with a single child individually, and their work is officially paid. This approach will ensure that children receive an education even in the most difficult conditions.

These changes are a step towards a more flexible, inclusive, and realistic distance learning system. They take into account the challenges faced by Ukrainian schools in wartime and make it possible to stay connected to education even in the most remote corners of the country or beyond.

Reminder! In 2025, more and more Ukrainians are choosing to study abroad, not only because of the quality of education, but also because of their desire to live and work in a stable environment. Find out how much it costs to study in different countries, what the admission requirements are, what the prospects are for free education, and get useful advice on visas, documents and legal support.

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