Officials in Lviv have denied claims that internally displaced children are not attending school en masse
Andriy Zakalyuk, head of the Department of Education and Culture of the Lviv City Council, has officially denied reports that 40,000 children from internally displaced families are not attending city schools due to language-based bullying.
The department head called this data “an outright lie” that has nothing to do with the actual situation in educational institutions.
Earlier, posts began circulating widely on Telegram alleging systematic persecution of students for using the Russian language.
The authors of the posts manipulatively cited a distorted interview with education expert Ivanna Kobernyk, referring to her as an “advisor to the Minister of Education and Science” to lend the fake news greater credibility.
According to official statistics, the total number of children with IDP status in Lviv under the age of 18 is approximately 12,000.
Of these, more than 4,600 children already attend the city’s kindergartens and schools, which completely refutes the figure of 40,000 “victims” of bullying.
Andriy Zakalyuk explained that some children do indeed not attend Lviv schools, but the reasons for this are purely technical and psychological.
Many families choose distance learning at their local schools to maintain a connection with home and familiar teachers.
The official emphasized the absurdity of the bullying allegations, noting: “They cannot bully at school those who have never attended a single day.”
While isolated conflicts may occur, portraying them as a widespread phenomenon is either a complete detachment from reality or a deliberate attempt to distort it.
As a reminder, the Cabinet of Ministers has tightened requirements for candidates seeking jobs in schools and kindergartens.
Also, the ban on smartphones in schools: what’s changing for children around the world.
