A student from Dnipro, located less than 150 kilometres from the frontline, apologises to her teacher at Svitlo School for changing locations during an online lesson and for her new, less suitable background. Another air raid has been announced in her city, and she must move to a safe place. When the teacher asks if she would prefer to stop the lesson and focus on ensuring her safety, the student replies, “I feel the safest during our lesson” and that she has taken the necessary precautions. For her, the lesson is the perfect distraction from the events unfolding outside.
This may seem surreal, but it is the reality for Ukrainian students, who have been forced to adapt to new circumstances and have subsequently developed remarkable resilience. These children, whose childhoods have been stolen from them, remain eager to learn new skills, gain knowledge, enjoy lessons, and explore their identities, all the while carrying the heavy burden of an uncertain future.
In a recent questionnaire completed by Svitlo School students, nearly 65% expressed concerns about their ability to access higher education or enter the workforce. Previously, it was common for Ukrainian youth to enrol in higher education, with a tertiary gross enrolment ratio of 85% in 2021. However, the war and the instability of the modern world has introduced financial, logistical, and psychological challenges, leaving many unable to predict or plan their futures.
Now more than ever, it is essential to provide students with practical, first-hand experiences that will enable them to find employment and support themselves, regardless of the path they choose to pursue. While this is particularly crucial for young Ukrainians, it is also highly relevant to many students worldwide.
Svitlo School’s distinctive approach
Svitlo Education, a registered charity in England and Wales, was founded by Yuliya Kosko, a Ukrainian who moved to the UK two decades ago to become a primary school teacher, later establishing her own educational consultancy. When the war in Ukraine began in late February 2022, Yuliya swiftly organised Svitlo’s first lessons by early March. Heather Rhodes, the Principal of Highgrove Education and an online learning expert, soon joined as a trustee, introducing a peer-teaching scheme for Svitlo students. The school quickly expanded, offering daily extracurricular lessons taught in English by teacher volunteers from around the world, supported by a team of Ukrainian volunteers.
Recognising the devastating impact of the war on children, Svitlo’s primary goal is to create a space that supports students now while preparing them for the future. Accessible to any Ukrainian child with an internet connection from home, Svitlo operates outside regular school hours and addresses the educational gaps of a traditional Ukrainian education. The school aims to nurture future leaders who will help rebuild Ukraine, providing them with a safe, supportive environment to grow and achieve their ambitions.
Addressing a unique set of challenges
Ukrainian school education includes a wide range of compulsory subjects. While this approach might seem ideal for helping students explore their interests, the subjects are often theoretical and lack direct applicability to real-world jobs. To address this, Svitlo focuses on delivering teaching in a more practical manner and offering job-relevant subjects such as Marketing, PPE, and Budgeting. Svitlo aims to help students discover potential career paths at an early age, enabling them to enter these fields with a clear understanding of the skills and knowledge required.
Moreover, how often do you see ‘experience of at least 1 year’ on a job application? How can school students gain this experience in a country where everything is disrupted by war? At Svitlo, we involve our students in nearly all aspects of running the school. We teach and encourage them to contribute to Svitlo’s social media accounts, organise social events, and support the school’s day-to-day operations. This approach helps our students acquire valuable experiences and transferable skills that are highly sought after by employers. As a result, our students can confidently list roles like ‘Social Media Manager at Svitlo School’ in the work experience section of their CVs.
Our newest initiative involves training our students to become ESOL teachers. Since the early days of Svitlo, some students have been leading their own English clubs and gaining valuable teaching experience. We are also training older students to lead guided reading sessions and reading clubs for younger students, with plans to expand this initiative further. These skills enable students to secure tutoring jobs after graduating, either as a primary source of income or to support themselves while pursuing further studies.
Source: Svitlo School
Celebrating our successes
We have observed a significant difference in the personal ambitions and confidence levels of students who have been at Svitlo long-term, compared to those who have recently joined us. In a recent survey, over 78% of students from the older group stated that they learn practical skills at Svitlo; among those who have been with us for over a year, 70% reported that Svitlo helped them gain clarity on what they want to study or which career they would like to pursue. Exposure to diverse practical experiences has given many students the confidence to dream bigger and has taught them how to turn their interests into future careers.
“At Svitlo, every lesson feels important for our future. In fact, during the war, it feels like the best time to focus on preparing for what’s ahead. Svitlo isn’t just a school—it’s the chance to take responsibility, be part of a big community, and prepare for adult life.”
Oleksandra, 17 years old
Furthermore, our students acquire the skills and experience necessary to enter the workforce immediately. For instance, our student Alina, a recent high school graduate, now works as an English tutor while applying to universities to study civil engineering. Her goal is to help rebuild Ukrainian infrastructure after the war.
“At Svitlo School I found a supportive and motivated community that inspired me to expand my skills and perspectives. Here, I began volunteering and leading initiatives, which became my most profound educational experience. Learning through hands-on practice allowed me to develop practical skills and knowledge at an accelerated rate.
Over two years of teaching the Story Making course at Svitlo, it has not only been a journey of improving my own knowledge but also a platform for unlocking my teaching potential. This experience became key to working as a tutor. Thanks to Svitlo, I not only realised how much I love teaching but also gained the confidence to take this important step in my career.”
Alina, 17 years old
Practical Advice for School Leaders
While our circumstances at Svitlo School are unique, we believe that some of the key lessons we have learnt can be applied to international schools worldwide:
- Complement the academic, theoretical curriculum with a focus on practical aspects, encouraging the demonstration and practice of career-applicable skills.
- Provide students with opportunities to gain real job experience and take responsibility through their involvement in the school’s operations.
- Maintain flexibility to adapt to the evolving needs of students, particularly during times of uncertainty, such as periods of war.
We firmly believe in the power of collaboration and are grateful for all we have achieved through the support of our partners and individual volunteers. If you or your school would like to join our mission, we offer various ways to get involved and are always open to exploring new ideas.
By Yuliya Kosko and Oleksandra Petrova
Yuliya Kosko is the founder and CEO of Svitlo School – a unique educational sanctuary for Ukrainian children affected by war. She was supported in writing this article by Oleksandra Petrova, Administrative and Communications Coordinator.
