Russia fails in its attempt at 'educational integration' in occupied Ukrainian territories
Illustrative photo: schools in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine (Getty Images)
The Russian State Duma has passed in its first reading a bill to extend the so-called "transition period" in the education system of the occupied territories of Ukraine until January 1, 2028, according to the Ukrainian National Resistance Center.
According to official explanations from the occupation authorities, the extension is needed to "complete integration into the Russian educational space" and to "raise salaries and improve the material base."
However, the NRC says the move is an acknowledgment of failure; Russia has been unable to establish a functioning education system in the occupied territories, even by its own standards.
Shortage of teachers and 'fake retraining'
Most local teachers refused to work under the Russian curricula, resulting in severe staff shortages. Those who stayed were forced to undergo "retraining" via Russian online platforms. Yet the NRC notes that the certificates issued after such courses have no legal validity even in Russia.
In some schools across the Kherson region and Donbas, classes are now taught by "young specialists" brought from Russian regions with promises of extra pay. But many of them leave after only a few months, disrupting the learning process and leaving students without stable instruction.
"Extending the so-called transition period means legalizing degradation: instead of integration, chaos, instead of education, propaganda, instead of development, an attempt to hide failure," the NRC said in its statement.
Imported teachers and demographic manipulation
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine, citing the NRC, reported that the occupation authorities have been bringing in new batches of teachers from remote Russian regions to fill vacancies and replace local educators who refused to cooperate.
According to the NRC, many of these imported teachers arrive with their families and are settled in homes vacated by displaced residents, altering the demographic structure of local communities.
Through these newly arrived teachers, occupation administrations aim to impose a pro-Russian narrative in schools and erode Ukrainian identity among students. Meanwhile, local educators who refused collaboration have lost their jobs or left the system entirely.
