2023-09-01 22:48:00
Makar and Nadiya Mikhailyuk are eager to return to school on this back-to-school day in Ukraine, after their return from Poland where they had taken refuge with their mother.
Their parents, Oleksandr and Viktoriya, decided to bring their children back to Irpin on the outskirts of Kiev, a city that suffered severe destruction during the Russian invasion of Ukraine but has been largely rebuilt.
Nadiya, 6, has never had a day of school in Ukraine, while her 8-year-old brother is eager to reunite with his classmates.
“I missed my class and my schoolteacher,” says Makar, whose favorite subjects are maths and art.
“When you study online, you can’t play, but when you go to class, you can play with your friends,” Nadiya points out.
Both children took online courses in Ukrainian in Poland.
More than three million children are educated in Ukraine, of which nearly 900,000 follow school programs at a distance, according to the presidency.
Last fall, more than two million children continued their studies at a distance, according to the Ministry of Education.
For back-to-school day, Makar wears a traditional embroidered shirt and gray pants while Nadiya donned a ribbon-embellished blouse and skirt.
Their parents also chose embroidered shirts as an outfit.
The family left Irpin for another Ukrainian city before reaching Poland.
The father, 39, a telecommunications engineer, remained in Ukraine due to the general mobilization of the male population, while the other family members settled in Poland, making only two visits to Ukraine.
“We Missed Dad”
“We really missed our dad, our grandfathers and our grandmother,” says Nadiya.
“Nadiya and I kept asking, ‘Mom, when are we going home?'” Makar adds.
The first day of school is marked by a carefully prepared ceremony.
In the playground, children sing a song for educational purposes on what to do during an air attack, accompanied by dance movements.
A boy wearing a bow tie greets school children.
“We all have one wish: for the war to end as quickly as possible with our victory,” he says.
Parents are encouraged to make donations to the Ukrainian army instead of offering flowers to teachers as is customary.
The school was bombed five times, including by Grad missiles, during intense fighting in Irpin after the Russian invasion.
An exhibit at the entrance shows photos of holes in the walls and blown out windows.
With help from UNICEF and the European Union, the school has been rebuilt and has a large air-raid shelter that can be used for lessons in the event of air strikes.
During the first lesson, Nadiya and her 30 classmates sing a song called “Ukraine will live”.
The teacher asks them what the word “patriot” means.
“He’s someone who helps Ukraine,” replies a blonde girl.
“Are we patriots?” asks the master. “Yes!” proclaim the enthusiastic voices of the children.
‘The children have returned’
This public establishment welcomes a large number of students in face-to-face, indicates the director Ivan Ptashnyk, many children having returned from abroad or no longer following their education at a distance.
The numbers, which have now reached the number of 2,300 school children, have increased because “our children have returned”, he says with satisfaction.
This year, more than 300 children joined the first year preparatory course, divided into 12 classes.
Like other suburbs of Kyiv, Irpin was brutally occupied by Russian forces in the weeks following the invasion, before being liberated by Ukrainian forces after hard fighting.
This commune is now growing, attracting families for the more affordable prices and the pine forests.
For Makar and Nadiya’s family, the decision to return to Ukraine was not easy.
Their mother Viktoriya, 41, enjoyed living in Warsaw and working remotely in the sales industry.
But it was important for the family to be together and for the children to have the opportunity to socialize, whereas in Poland “they only talked to each other”, notes Oleksandr.
01/09/2023 21:29:37 – Irpin (Ukraine) (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
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