MES predicts a one-third decrease in first-graders by 2029

An illustrative photo: Ukrinform

According to forecasts by the Ministry of Education and Science, the number of first-graders in 2029 will be at least 30% lower than this year, said Halyna Kuzmicheva, Deputy Minister of Education and Science, in a comment to Ukrinform.

She noted that there are currently 30% fewer first-graders than seventh-graders. "And if we look at the birth statistics of recent years, by 2029, there will be 30% fewer children in first grade than there are now," Kuzmicheva said.

She emphasised that the focus is primarily on preparing the existing network of educational institutions for the new realities.

"We can continue to keep silent and live under the illusion that nearly 13,000 schools across Ukraine have the potential for life. This might be a politically advantageous position. But does it reflect reality? No, of course not. More than 50% of schools already have fewer than 200 children. And the numbers will continue to drop. And all of this impacts the quality of education," the Deputy Minister of Education and Science assured.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that, according to politician and doctor Olha Bohomolets, the Ukrainian nation could disappear in just a few generations.

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