THE BOMBED SCHOOLS OF KHERSON: THE SPATIAL ASPECT OF EDUCATIONAL LOSSES
Abstract
The article analyzes the significant educational losses and structural changes in the general secondaryeducation system of the Kherson city community as a result of the war, covering both students'academic performance and the school infrastructure's physical condition. The study also examines theprimary unevenness of the location of educational institutions, which was confirmed by an analysisusing Voronoi polygons. The problem of reducing the number of students in the Kherson communityis particularly acute. From the beginning of the war to the beginning of the 2024/25 school year, thenumber of students decreased from 32,500 to 21,000. This trend has intensified as a result of theoccupation of the territories, shelling, and psychological factors that have influenced parents' choicesto continue their children's education. Some children from the occupied territories were registeredin Kherson schools, but the overall number of students has declined sharply. The institutions withthe most significant losses are divided into small schools, institutions that have suffered significantdamage, and institutions whose reputations have suffered due to cooperation with the occupiers.Against demographic losses, the decline in academic performance is also significant. A comparisonof the 2021 EIT and 2024 NMT results showed only a conditional increase in average scores due to adecrease in the number of students in high school. For many highly rated schools (school #30, school #36, educational complex #56), a decrease inresults by 5–10% was recorded, indicating a deterioration in the quality of the educational process.At the same time, some institutions have demonstrated an increase in performance due to the transferof students from other schools. The material losses to the educational infrastructure are large-scaleand critical for further recovery. All educational institutions in Kherson were damaged, and the totaldamage to real estate exceeds one billion hryvnias. Five schools were utterly destroyed. Additional losseswere caused by the destruction of equipment, machinery, and school supplies that were looted by theoccupiers or flooded after the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station was blown up. Further restorationof Kherson's educational system requires a comprehensive approach, considering the location of studentsand teachers, many of whom are abroad. Large-scale infrastructure damage and demographic changesexacerbate educational losses, prolonging the time it takes to rebuild the school network.
References
2. Заклади загальної середньої освіти | Реєстр суб’єктів освітньої діяльності. (2024). Edbo.gov.ua. https://registry.edbo.gov.ua/zagalna-serednyaosvita/65101/ [General secondary education institutions | Register of subjects of educational activity. (2024). Edbo.gov.ua. https://registry.edbo.gov.ua/zagalna-serednya-osvita/65101/ (in Ukrainian)]
3. Заячук, О. Г. Територіальна організація освітньо-виховного комплексу Чернівецької області (Doctoral dissertation, ЧНУ ім. Ю. Федьковича. Чернівці, 2011). [Zayachuk, O. G. Territorial organization of the educational complex of Chernivtsi region (Doctoral dissertation, Yu. Fedkovych National University of Ukraine. Chernivtsi, 2011) (in Ukrainian)].
4. Ільїв, О. М. (2012). Сучасна територіальна організація загальноосвітніх навчальних закладів Волинської області. Географія та туризм, (Вип. 22), 258–265. [Ilyiv, O. M. (2012). Modern territorial organization of general educational institutions of Volyn region. Geography and tourism, (Issue 22), 258–265 (in Ukrainian)].
5. Корінчук, Н., Нарихнюк, Н., Корінчук, В., & Поплавська, Г. (2024). Освітні втрати здобувачів освіти з математики в умовах війни: ризики, діагностичні соціологічні дослідження та шляхи подолання. New Pedagogical Thought, 118(2), 52–57. https://doi.org/10.37026/2520-6427-2024-118-2-52-57 [Korinchuk, N., Narykhniuk, N., Korinchuk, V., & Poplavska, H. (2024). Educational losses of students in mathematics during the war: risks, diagnostic sociological research and ways to overcome them. New Pedagogical Thought, 118(2), 52–57. https://doi.org/10.37026/2520-6427-2024-118-2-52-57 (in Ukrainian)]
6. Круть, І. (2024). Освітні втрати та освітні розриви: у чому різниця та як долати? Освіторія Медіа. https://osvitoria.media/experience/osvitnivtraty-ta-osvitni-rozryvy-u-chomu-riznytsya-tayak-dolaty/ [Krut, I. (2024). Educational losses and educational gaps: what is the difference and how to overcome? Osvitoria Media. https://osvitoria.media/experience/osvitni-vtraty-ta-osvitni-rozryvy-uchomu-riznytsya-ta-yak-dolaty/ (in Ukrainian)].
7. Мальчикова Д., Пилипенко І. (2022). Окупаційний урбіцид: міський досвід та повсякденні практики населення (приклад Херсона, Україна). Економічна та соціальна географія, 88, 6–15. https://doi.org/10.17721/2413-7154/2022.88.6-15 [Malchykova D., Pylypenko I. (2022). Occupation urbanization: urban experience and everyday practices of the population (the case of Kherson, Ukraine). Economic and Social Geography, 88, 6–15. https://doi.org/10.17721/2413-7154/2022.88.6-15 (in Ukrainian)].
8. Назаренко, Ю. (2024). Освітні втрати: підходи до вимірювання та компенсації аналітика. In Cedos. https://cedos.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/zapyska_osvitni-vtraty.pdf [Nazarenko, Y. (2024). Educational losses: approaches to measuring and compensating analysts. In Cedos. https://cedos.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/zapyska_osvitni-vtraty.pdf (in Ukrainian)].
9. Освіта.ua. (2021). Рейтинг шкіл Херсона 2021 року. Освіта.UA; Освіта.ua. https://osvita.ua/school/rating/83754/ [Osvita.ua (2021). Rating of Kherson schools in 2021. Osvita.ua; Osvita.ua. https://osvita.ua/school/rating/83754/ (in Ukrainian)].
10. Освіта.ua. (2024). Рейтинг шкіл Херсона 2024 року. Освіта.UA; Освіта.ua. https://osvita.ua/school/rating/93095/ [Osvita.ua (2024, September 16). Rating of Kherson schools in 2024. Osvita.UA; Osvita.ua. https://osvita.ua/school/rating/93095/ (in Ukrainian)].
11. Сисоєва, С. О., & Рейпольська, О. Д. (2023). Освітні втрати в дошкільній освіті як передумова подальших освітніх втрат. Herald of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, 5(2), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.37472/v.naes.2023.5203 [Sysoeva, S. O., & Reipolskaya, O. D. (2023). Educational losses in preschool education as a prerequisite for further educational losses. Herald of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, 5(2), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.37472/v.naes.2023.5203 (in Ukrainian)].
12. Топузов, О., Головко, М., & Локшина, О. (2023). Освітні втрати в період воєнного стану: проблеми діагностики та компенсації. Ukrainian Educational Journal, 1(1), 5–13. https://doi.org/10.32405/2411-1317-2023-1-5-13 [Topuzov, O., Holovko, M., & Lokshyna, O. (2023). Educational losses during martial law: problems of diagnosis and compensation. Ukrainian Educational Journal, 1(1), 5–13. https://doi.org/10.32405/2411-1317-2023-1-5-13 (in Ukrainian)].
13. Gorodnichenko, Y., Kudlyak, M., & Şahin, A. (2022). The Effect of the War on Human Capital in Ukraine and the Path for Rebuilding. https://docs.iza.org/pp185.pdf
14. Learning Loss Definition. (2013, May 15). The Glossary of Education Reform. https://www.edglossary.org/learning-loss/
15. Palekha, Y. M., Malchykova, D. S., Antonenko, N. V., & Pylypenko, І. О. (2024). Approaches to the territorial communities’ typification of Ukraine as a result of the russian military aggression. Ukrainian Geographical Journal, 2023(4), 36–43. https://doi.org/10.15407/ugz2023.04.036
16. Shelestova, L. (2023). Educational Losses of Pupils During the War: Essence, Diagnostics and Ways of Overcoming. Pedagogical Innovation: Ideas, Realities, Perspectives, 3, 62–72. https://doi.org/10.32405/2413-4139-2023-1(30)-62-72
