Many Ukrainian students in 10th and 11th grades, especially males, are leaving the country

Many students in the 10th and 11th grades, particularly boys, are leaving the country.

This was reported by the Minister of Education, Oksen Lisovyi, during a speech in the Verkhovna Rada.

“Regarding students leaving the country, I share your concern. We are observing how many children, especially boys in the 10th and 11th grades, are going abroad. We are encouraging them to stay in Ukraine in various ways,” said Lisovyi.

The minister believes that providing quality education could persuade students to remain in war-torn Ukraine. He argued that the Western universities where many Ukrainians enroll are not superior to domestic ones and suggested that Western education is, in many ways, “mythologized.”

It’s important to note that boys aged 17 and older are required to register for military service. The Cabinet of Ministers is also proposing fines for those who fail to do so. From the age of 18, boys are no longer allowed to leave the country.

As a result, many parents try to send their sons abroad before they turn 18, or even before they reach 17. This is one of the reasons for the large outflow of boys from the upper grades, as noted by the Minister of Education.