Schools ahead of September 1: Does Kyiv face a shortage of places for students?

As the 2026/2027 academic year approaches, Ukraine’s school system has fewer institutions than it did several years ago. There are several reasons: the number of children is declining due to demographic trends, some families left the country after the full-scale war began, others moved within the country, while communities are simultaneously optimizing the school network.

However, the number of schools alone does not yet answer parents’ main question: will there be a place for their child? The situation varies greatly across the country. In smaller communities, there are sometimes too few students, making it increasingly difficult to maintain a school. Kyiv and other large cities present a different picture: individual schools and entire neighborhoods may be overcrowded.

During the war, another important issue was added — safety. A school may have enough classrooms and desks, but that does not mean all children can attend in person at the same time. It is important whether there is a shelter and how many students it can accommodate. UNN analyzed the situation with schools on the eve of the new academic year. 

How many schools will operate in Ukraine in the new academic year

According to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, 8,424 schools plan to operate in person during the 2026/2027 academic year. Another 2,211 institutions are expected to use a blended format, while 1,306 will provide distance learning. In total, this concerns 11,941 general secondary education institutions. About 243,300 children are expected to be admitted to first grade this year.

For comparison, at the beginning of the 2025/2026 academic year, about 11,800 schools operated in Ukraine. Over the previous five years, their number decreased by approximately 15.5%.

The reason is not any single decision. The school network is simultaneously affected by a prolonged decline in the birth rate, migration, the full-scale war, children leaving the country, the relocation of families from frontline regions, and the closure or reorganization of small schools.

Therefore, the situation in different regions of Ukraine is sometimes diametrically opposed. In some places, only a few dozen children attend a rural school, while elsewhere a single urban institution enrolls hundreds of students. Kyiv stands out noticeably in this regard. According to monitoring data on the network of general secondary education institutions, there are approximately 528–535 students per school in the capital. The national average is about 303 students.

Therefore, it would be incorrect to speak of a general shortage of school places across the country. The problem is much more localized: in some communities, there are already too few students to preserve the current network, while in others, popular schools remain overcrowded.

How many schools will operate in Kyiv in the new academic year 

In response to UNN’s information request, the Education and Science Department of the Kyiv City State Administration reported that in the 2026/2027 academic year, the network of municipal general secondary education institutions in the capital will comprise 412 schools. At the same time, the Department did not provide the total designed capacity of these institutions or specify the number of vacant student places. Therefore, based on this response alone, it is impossible to determine how many additional children Kyiv’s municipal schools can admit.

For comparison, more than 600 schools of all ownership types operated in the capital during the 2025/2026 academic year. Of these, 415 were municipal, 187 private, and eight state-run. In total, nearly 326,000 children studied in Kyiv’s schools.

At the same time, it is important not to conflate these figures: one thing is all the schools in the capital, and another is only municipal schools. Kyiv’s private sector is quite large, but the main burden still falls on the municipal education system.

Is there a shortage of school places in Kyiv

In its response to UNN’s information request, the Education and Science Department of the Kyiv City State Administration did not provide official data indicating that Kyiv generally lacks school places. Therefore, it is currently impossible to speak of a confirmed citywide shortage.

The situation may differ significantly even between neighboring neighborhoods. The greatest pressure usually occurs where housing construction is active, while schools and other social infrastructure cannot keep pace with the emergence of new buildings.

There is another factor as well: parents often want to send their child not simply to the nearest school, but to a specific lyceum or an institution with a good reputation. As a result, one school may be overcrowded while places are still available at a neighboring school.

Therefore, for a family at present, given the security situation in the capital,  it is important not only to find a “physical” place at a school, but also to choose an educational institution near home, plan a safe route to it, apply for the relevant educational program, and have the opportunity to study in person.

Shelters are a separate issue.

According to the Kyiv City State Administration, 94% of Kyiv’s educational institutions are equipped with basic shelters. If a school does not have its own shelter, it may use protective structures at neighboring facilities, provided they are located nearby and have enough space. Because of this, the actual capacity of a school during wartime may differ from its usual capacity. There may be enough room in classrooms, but if the shelter is not designed for all the children at once, the format or schedule of instruction must be changed.

How Kyiv schools will operate from September 1

The new academic year in Kyiv is scheduled to begin on September 1, 2026. The exact operating format of a particular school will depend primarily on the security situation. The Kyiv City State Administration’s Department of Education and Science told UNN that most schools in the capital plan to operate mainly in person and in a single shift.

"According to the city authorities’ forecast, 95.3% of Kyiv’s general secondary education institutions will operate in person. Another 4% are expected to use a blended format, while approximately 0.7% will operate remotely," the relevant department said in its response. 

However, they acknowledge that if the security situation changes, schools will be able to adjust the organization of instruction. Thus,  heads of educational institutions may use different operating models during martial law. In addition, schools have a certain degree of autonomy: the pedagogical council determines the structure of the academic year, the operating schedule, the form of education, the length of the school week and day, and the timetable for lessons and breaks.

Are schools being closed in Ukraine?

While large cities may face the problem of overcrowded schools, some communities are experiencing the exact opposite situation — the number of children in classrooms is steadily declining. This primarily concerns rural areas. Due to demographic decline and migration, some institutions have only a few dozen students.

From September 1, 2026, the rules for state funding of small schools will also change. The educational subvention will not be provided to institutions where the number of students is below the established threshold. For schools with grades 1–12, this means fewer than 60 children; for institutions with grades 1–11, fewer than 55; and for schools with grades 1–9 or 5–11(12), fewer than 45 students.

However, this does not mean that such schools will automatically be closed on September 1. The decision to reorganize or liquidate a municipal institution is made by its founder, usually the local community. If the community considers the school necessary, it may continue to fund it from its own budget. But this can be costly for small communities, so the process of optimizing the education network will likely continue.

Even if a school is reorganized or closed, this does not mean that children will simply be left without an educational institution. The community must designate other schools for the students and, if necessary, arrange transportation.

What will change in Ukraine’s schools in the coming years 

Another major change awaits Ukrainian schools in the near future — the reform of upper secondary education. The transition to specialized secondary education is scheduled to begin in 2027. After ninth grade, students will choose their дальнейший path: an academic lyceum or vocational education.

As a result, the network of institutions itself will also change. Not every school that currently has grades one through eleven will continue to offer upper secondary education. Some institutions will operate as primary schools or gymnasiums up to ninth grade. Education in grades 10–12 will gradually be concentrated in academic lyceums.

Can private schools make up for the shortage of places in state educational institutions 

Kyiv has a fairly large private education sector — there are already around two hundred such schools. They can indeed partially relieve the pressure on municipal institutions. This is especially noticeable in areas with new residential development, where private education projects open alongside new buildings.

However, private schools should not be regarded as a comprehensive solution to the problem of a shortage of places.

First and foremost, they charge tuition fees, which not every family can afford. In addition, private schools also have a limited number of places, their own admission rules, and are not required to accept all children from the surrounding buildings.

The municipal system operates on a different principle: access to general secondary education must be guaranteed regardless of the family's income. Therefore, private schools can complement the education network of a large city and partially ease its burden, but they cannot replace municipal institutions.

We remind you

UNN reported on whether there would be enough places in kindergartens in the new academic year.