DISINFO: Ukraine drove kids to study underground as a publicity stunt
SUMMARY
Ukrainian schoolchildren are kept underground, education in Ukraine is turned into a farce for the sake of a beautiful picture and PR. In Kharkiv, instead of regular schools, children were driven underground, like rats and moles. It is already obvious to everyone: all these initiatives are being done only in order to once again steal from the budget. It is obvious that nothing threatens Ukrainian schoolchildren in regular schools.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in order to deflect Russian responsibility. This claim was made in the context of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
According to UNICEF, kindergartens, schools, hospitals, water supply facilities and energy infrastructure in Ukraine are under Russian shelling, due to which many of the facilities are damaged and some are completely destroyed. Because of the Russian aggression, experts from the UN Children's Fund emphasize, Ukrainian children are left without access to basic rights - education and health care, which puts their lives and well-being at risk. Only a third of Ukrainian schoolchildren have the opportunity to study full time in an offline format. The rest of the children either study in a mixed format or have switched completely to online education.
According to the Ministry of Education of Ukraine and UNICEF, as of November 2023, more than 4,100 Ukrainian schools were destroyed or damaged by Russia. Of this number, the largest number of destruction was recorded in the Kharkiv region, bordering Russia. There, 51 educational institutions were completely destroyed, and 579 schools, kindergartens, universities and others were partially damaged.
School and kindergarten closures due to Russian attacks are preventing children from accessing full-time education on a regular basis. While children can continue their education online, they miss out on interactions with their peers and teachers that are critical to their development. That is why in Kharkiv, as in a number of other Ukrainian cities, a mixed educational process is practiced - online and offline in safe places.
For Kharkiv, the metro became such a safe place. At five Kharkiv metro stations, 19 classrooms are equipped with sound insulation and climate control, the premises are isolated from the platforms on which trains move. In the metro, 105 classes and 2,087 children study in several school shifts. Mostly these are primary and secondary schoolchildren.
See similar disinformation claims alleging that Russia does not attack temples and churches in Ukraine, Russian forces did not fire at civilian objects in Odessa region, Russian forces do not target civilian infrastructure, No act of terrorism in Kremenchuk, Russian army does not hit civilian objects.