Ukrainian bishops welcomed efforts to restart classes for a new school year and offered church basements as emergency air raid shelters for children.
“The Ukrainian authorities know education is vital for the country’s future, so everything is being done to get youngsters back to school, even while our soldiers are fighting at the front,” Auxiliary Bishop Jan Sobilo of Kharkiv-Zaporizhzhia told Catholic News Service.
“Although the war drags on, there are basic things we must provide them with, including the possibility of being educated. Children can best help Ukraine and their families by studying for their homeland’s future.”
Classes restarted across Ukraine on 1 September after months of disruption caused by Russia’s 24 February invasion, amid warnings that children needed protection against shells and bombs.