Lessons starting at 7:30 and two shifts in shelters: how Mykolaiv is preparing schools for rocket drones

Due to the increase in the number of rocket strike drones and their high speed of movement, schools in Mykolaiv may significantly change the organization of education. City authorities are considering holding lessons directly in shelters, operating institutions in two shifts, and starting classes at 7:30.

Possible changes on 4 August 2026 were reported during an official meeting by the head of the education department of the Mykolaiv City Council, Hanna Lychko.

According to her, in the new school year 52 general secondary education institutions plan to operate in a blended (in-person and remote) format. Another 12 institutions will continue distance learning.

As early as 11 August, city authorities plan to hold a meeting with school leaders. During the meeting, they are to determine new algorithms for organizing the educational process taking into account the security situation and the capabilities of each educational institution.

The main factor when forming schedules will be the capacity of school shelters. It will be the number of children that a protective shelter can accommodate at the same time that determines the format of education, the start time of lessons, and the number of shifts.

Speaking about preparing schools for the new academic year amid the increase in rocket drones, Hanna Lychko did not rule out that the educational process may have to be moved entirely into protective shelters.

“It may be necessary to organize lessons directly in the shelters”.

In schools where protective rooms cannot accommodate all students at once, education may be organized in two shifts. A preliminary option being considered is that primary school pupils would attend classes in the first shift, while students in grades 5-11 would study in the second.

Also, in some institutions lessons may start as early as 7:30. This will allow more efficient use of shelter capacity and distribute flows of children throughout the day. At the same time, final decisions regarding schedules have not yet been made.

After 20 August in Mykolaiv, a survey of parents is planned regarding the preferred form of education for their children. The results will be taken into account when finalizing the schools’ operating modes.

Depending on parents’ responses, shelter capacities, and the security situation, city authorities may reformat the network of educational institutions and change the previously determined formats of learning.

Earlier we wrote:

• Shelter withstood the strike: consequences of the attack are being handled at the lyceum in the Korabelnyi district
• A quarter fewer students: only 34.6 thousand pupils are currently studying in Mykolaiv, one third remotely
• After the destroyed gymnasium, there was not enough space for children: the lyceum in the Korabelnyi district received a new shelter
• Shelters, water and “panic buttons”: how Mykolaiv summed up education results for 2025 — and what was omitted in the figures
• More than half of Mykolaiv schools are preparing for offline learning from September 1