As Ukrainian schools open, students hear air raid sirens instead of the first bell
Thousands of Ukrainian children mark a milestone on Sept. 1 by stepping into a new world of classrooms and learning, with the "first bell" ceremony traditionally marking this transition. Yet this year, the "first bell" was forced underground as Russia pounded Kyiv with aerial attacks for the sixth consecutive day, as across the country, hundreds of thousands of pupils see their school life…
On September 1, Ukrainian children began their school year, stepping into a new world of classrooms and learning, replacing the traditional first bell ceremony with air raid sirens. Russian attacks in Kyiv continued for the sixth day, disrupting school life across the country. Nataliia Maievska, director of Lyceum No. 257 Syniozernyi in Kyiv's northwestern neighborhood, described the day as bittersweet, as seven-year-old first-graders faced the turmoil of war.
The school welcomed around 88 new students, bringing the total to 1200. As lessons commenced, air raid sirens interrupted the first bell, and children quickly formed a line to seek shelter underground. Kyiv authorities warned that education might need to shift to a hybrid format to ensure safety, with schools preparing for various scenarios, including remote learning for about 200,000 students in frontline regions.
Despite the challenges, almost 94% of first-year students attended school, with teachers like Olena feeling confident that the students would adapt to the unusual start of the school year.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
