Schools need about 50,000 laptops and computers for teachers and students – education ministry

The Ministry of Education and Science, in collaboration with UNESCO Ukraine, remain committed to addressing the pressing need for 50,000 laptops and computers across schools to support teachers and students. Following a recent meeting between Education Minister Andriy Butenko and UNESCO Ukraine's head Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, the two organizations reiterated their joint efforts to mobilize resources for this crucial cause, even as they look towards the future.

The ongoing discussion encompasses strategic priorities, including psychosocial support, digital resilience in education, strengthening Ukraine's scientific ecosystem, and the restoration of damaged research infrastructure. Notably, the Education Ministry and UNESCO have already made significant strides in fortifying the digital infrastructure of the education system, with initiatives such as the Profi module for vocational education, the Extracurricular Education platform, and the modernization of the teacher training platform under the Money Follows the Teacher pilot program.

Furthermore, the partnership has resulted in the distribution of over 50,000 Chromebooks to teachers and 8,534 units of computer equipment to students, alongside training for more than 77,000 educators through the Digital Teacher course. Despite these advancements, a shortfall persists, with 31,881 units still required for students and 15,538 for educators. Both parties have pledged continued cooperation to bridge this gap and further bolster digital resilience in the education sector.