Ukraine is on the list of countries with the largest number of mines that threaten human life. Approximately 30% of its territory has become potentially dangerous due to explosive objects. According to a report by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, mines and other explosive materials caused the deaths of 100 children from February 24, 2022, to July 30, 2023.
With this in mind, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, decided to develop a minefield safety training workshop to ensure that all schoolchildren know the rules that can save their lives and health. In particular, the training will include access to an online course for teachers who will be able to teach children of all ages about mine safety.
"The main goal of education is to provide children with useful knowledge and skills. Unfortunately, today and in the near future, knowledge about mine safety will be extremely important in Ukraine. The task of adults and the entire educational system is to provide children with all possible information on how to stay safe. Some teachers are already actively conducting educational work on this topic, but our goal is to reach every school, every classroom and every child," emphasized Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.
A methodological manual with detailed plans and presentations for conducting mine risk education lessons is already available for teachers. These materials are adapted to the needs of primary and secondary schools and were developed by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine together with partners. In 2023 alone, more than 5,000 educators, social workers and representatives of civil society organizations were trained by UNICEF on mine risk education for children. Together with partners and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, they conducted offline and online minefield safety training for more than 640,000 children in various educational institutions and children's centers.
