Posts published in “World”

In the school basement with wet books, in outerwear, often without electricity, and under the sounds of air raid alerts, the students of my school are studying this year. Here in Ukraine, the war has completely changed the price of such basic and customary things for children around the world such as attending school, listening to teachers in the classroom, and following normal routines.

“When my colleagues found out that I’m only sixteen, they laughed [being unable to believe],” Tiknonov said. “In response, I showed them my passport, but sometimes even that was useless to convince them.”

 So, eventually, we moved. Like many other Ukrainians, my husband and I were thrown away from our homes. And the railway stations were unimaginably horrific. It seemed to me that I was in Hell. There were screams, cries, and so much depression.

No matter how stable some things may seem, even the most hardened structures or routines can encounter a dead end in a wink in a swiftly changing world. When war hits your life, adaptivity and quick response are crucial in keeping pace with challenges like that; I am full of pride to say that the Ukrainian education system demonstrated such character to the world last year. And what is even more important, we see that no matter what, Ukrainian students are motivated to obtain an education.