Education under fire: The laptops helping thousands of Ukrainian students rebuild their future
Press Release
At Zaporizhzhia Lyceum in Ukraine, a school near the frontline that has doubled as a testing centre for two years, students received laptops to support their studies in a makeshift underground school.
- As Ukraine marks three years since the full-scale invasion, millions of children remain cut off from stable education
- Theirworld’s Global Business Coalition for Education (GBC- Education) is delivering hundreds of laptops to Ukrainian schools
- The laptops will help over 21,000 senior students to sit their crucial online National Multi-Subject Test (NMT) – the gateway to university
As Ukraine marks three years since the full-scale invasion, millions of children continue to face severe disruptions to their education.
Forced to learn in underground shelters, displaced from their schools and with limited access to technology, their futures risk being a forgotten casualty of war.
A key challenge facing the Ukrainian education system has been allowing students to sit the National Multi-Subject Test (NMT) – a mandatory university entrance exam now taken digitally due to the conflict, roughly equivalent to A-levels of the UCAS Tariff system in the UK.
However, thousands of students lack access to laptops in schools, leaving them unable to take the test and shutting them out of further education, future career opportunities and the chance to attend university.
500 Laptops, 21,600 Futures
In response, Theirworld’s Global Business Coalition for Education (GBC- Education) is delivering 500 more laptops to schools that urgently need updated technology. This builds on its work to date, which has delivered over 70,000 laptops to displaced Ukrainian children and teachers in partnership with Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Olena Zelenska Foundation.
Each device will support, on average, over 40 students in continuing their studies and sitting their NMT, ensuring that over 21,600 senior students acquire the skills they need for the future and unlock their potential.
For many, these laptops are not just tools – they are a lifeline to education, opportunity and hope.
Learning Under Siege
The laptops will be placed in educational institutions across different Ukrainian regions, including frontline schools and sheltered learning facilities, where students remain determined to learn despite daily air raid sirens and the constant threat of attack.
At Zaporizhzhia Lyceum, a school near the frontline that has doubled as a testing centre for two years, students will receive laptops to support their studies in a classroom-based in a makeshift underground classroom.
Justin van Fleet, CEO of Global Business Coalition for Education said: “There is power in partnerships. This work builds on long-standing relationships between government, local providers, and the private sector to demonstrate how mobilizing resources and expertise can make a real, lasting difference for children, young people, their families and communities during times of crisis.”
Nina Horbachova, Director of the Olena Zelenska Foundation said: “Ensuring Ukrainian children’s access to education during the war is one of the key objectives of the Olena Zelenska Foundation. With our partners, we transfer devices to those forced to learn online due to the constant shelling threats. This initiative helps students take essential steps – from graduation from school to university admission. We thank our partners for such a significant contribution to preserving the future of Ukrainian children through education.”
Yevhen Kudriavets, First Deputy Minister for Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine said: “Even in the face of war, we must protect every child’s right to education. Access to technology is vital to ensuring students can continue their studies, take their exams and secure their future. These laptops represent the strength and determination of the Ukrainian people. For the children who are the cornerstone of the country’s future, they are a promise of a better tomorrow.”
GBC- Education visited the school to speak with students and teachers, capturing the emotional moment they received their laptops.
Oleksii, an 11th-grade student at Zaporizhzhia Lyceum, said, “Learning during the war has changed significantly.” The student, who plans to work in IT, explained, “At home, I work on touchpads. When I use a tablet, I encounter some difficulties. Having access to a laptop is essential for me to take the National Multi-Subject Test.”
Ivan, also in 11th grade at Zaporizhzhia Lyceum, said, “My education has changed a lot. Before the war, I went to school every day, but now I study here [in the shelter] daily and prepare for the NMT. Access to this laptop allows me to prepare for the test every day in a safe environment.”
Anna, an 11th grade homeroom and history teacher, said, “As a teacher, when the war began, I faced several challenges, primarily safety concerns. The shelter enables us to prepare [for the test] without delaying lessons. It is essential to practice using the same technology. This provides peace of mind for students and teachers and helps them get familiar with the technology before the exam, which is crucial.”
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About the Global Business Coalition for Education
Theirworld’s Global Business Coalition for Education (GBC- Education) is a movement of businesses committed to ending the global education crisis and unleashing the potential of future generations.
Established in 2012 by the global children’s charity Theirworld, GBC-Education is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that leverages the collective power of business, government, NGOs, and today’s youth to achieve the goal of education and opportunity for all.
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