On 1 September, Chernihiv School No. 13 opens its doors to more than 800 pupils

On 1 September, Chernihiv Secondary School No. 13 welcomed more than 800 students into its newly renovated 3,600-square-metre premises under the DECIDE Project!

It took more than two years to build the bomb shelter and carry out major repairs to the school, creating a safer and even better environment for the students of Chernihiv.

The event was attended by representatives of the community and education sector, as well as Felix Baumann, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Swiss Confederation in Ukraine.

The school specialises in natural sciences and mathematics and is equipped with modern multimedia equipment and teaching materials. There are 16 highly advanced laboratories where students can conduct research and experiments under the guidance of their teachers.

From now on, children and teenagers will have access to a dedicated space for practical chemistry lessons. The biology classroom has been fitted with a climatron for studying plant growth, soils and microelements. There is also a STEM laboratory equipped with LEGO sets, a robotics table and modern construction equipment. This means that learning will be useful, interesting and interactive.

‘Today, we are at School No. 13, which has undergone complete modernisation over the past year. It is now equipped with a highly advanced bomb shelter, ensuring that children do not miss out on their education during constant air attacks. Seeing the smiles on the children’s faces today has made me truly happy, and I am sure that we are on the right track. I am pleased to acknowledge the contribution of the Swiss people to the reconstruction of the school, as well as their support for Ukraine, which is currently experiencing an extremely challenging time amid the ongoing war,’ emphasised Felix Baumann, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Swiss Confederation in Ukraine.

The school also includes creative workshops for learning about technology and spaces for creativity. It has a modern kitchen unit that meets all standards.

To avoid interrupting the educational process during air raid alerts, the school has been equipped with a modern bomb shelter, enabling learning to continue despite the air alerts.

‘The idea is to create a comfortable learning environment for children, despite the war. That is why super-modern laboratories and subject classrooms were created, the school kitchen was renovated and more than 500 metres of bomb shelter were built, which students are now using. In Chernihiv, as in many other Ukrainian cities and towns, children spend more than three hours in bomb shelters every day. It was therefore important for us to make this space comfortable and safe, and to enable children to continue their education during air raid alerts,’ says Valentyna Poltorak, DECIDE Project Manager.

The reconstruction and major renovation of Chernihiv Secondary School No. 13 was made possible thanks to an investment of over UAH 64 million from the Swiss Government as part of the DECIDE Project. The local council allocated the remaining UAH 10 million for improvements and additional equipment.

This budget also covered refurbishing the kitchen unit to meet all modern standards and the requirements of the school nutrition reform. A bomb shelter was also fully refurbished and converted into an educational centre for pupils.

A distinctive feature of all our projects was the active involvement of both students and the school team in the restoration of the school. With the support of the Project experts, they drew up a development strategy for the school and introduced a course entitled 'Learning to Live in a Community', as well as holding training sessions as part of the 'Becoming Stronger Together!' initiative on education for democratic citizenship. Next year, the school will participate in the national pilot programme for career guidance for students.

Five bomb shelters have been currently restored in Chernihiv, located at Schools No. 19, 22, 32, 34, and 13. Two career guidance hubs have also been established in vocational schools. This is all happening as part of the implementation of the community’s education development strategy.