17,000 Ukrainian children start new school year underground

More than three years after the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out, parents in Kharkiv have taken their children to special underground schools to start the new school year.

A school in a metro station in Kharkov, Ukraine - Photo: GUARDIAN

According to Reuters news agency on September 2, in the city of Kharkov (Ukraine), about 17,000 students are studying in seven underground schools. Local authorities said they will soon open more facilities.

Kharkov is the second largest city in Ukraine and is frequently affected by Russian attacks.

"Today, my child - a first-grader - went to school for the first time. It's an underground school near the northern Saltivka area," said Anastasia Pochergina, a parent.

"The school is located deep underground and is considered the deepest school in Kharkiv, so I am very confident about its safety. We did not expect our children to go to school this year, but as a parent, I always long for my children to go to school in person as usual," she continued.

Ukrainian children return to school on September 1 and will bring flowers and gifts for their teachers. Ms. Pochergina said she did not expect a quick return to normal life, despite positive signs in peace talks with Russia.

“We hope things will get better, but we don’t expect total peace ,” said Pochergina. “We don’t think we’ll go back to traditional schools either, because we understand reality and have no illusions.”

At school, teachers tell students to hurry inside. Groups hold hands and walk down stairs to well-equipped classrooms where children of different ages study together.

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said three new schools will be inaugurated early next year, and six of the city's metro stations have been converted into classrooms to help bring some normalcy to children's lives.

"This is one of the schools closest to the Russian border. Today, we have just opened two schools in the Nova Saltivka area, similar to this one," said Ihor Terekhov.

"You can see that this school is located very deep underground. This depth is a key factor to ensure safety. The school is large enough to accommodate about 1,500 students," Mr. Terekhov said, referring to the school in northern Saltivka.

Maria Yampolska, 6, said she was happy to be in art class and playing with her friends in the classroom. When asked how it compared to kindergarten, she said: "I never went to school because of the war."

XUAN THAO

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/17-000-tre-em-ukraine-khai-giang-nam-hoc-moi-duoi-long-dat-20250902150307567.htm