Shelters in schools will no longer be open to everyone: new rules
Фото: Запорізька ОВА
Ukraine has changed the rules for using shelters in kindergartens and schools. During in-person classes, they will primarily be available to children, students, and employees of educational institutions. The admission of other citizens will depend on the decision of local authorities and the conditions under which children’s safety can be ensured.
This is stated in the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated October 15, 2026 No. 1288.
In kindergartens, shelters are intended solely for the protection of children and employees. In schools, during in-person classes, they will also be used primarily by students and teachers. At the same time, local authorities may allow participants in the educational process and other citizens to stay in the shelter at the same time.
The procedure for sharing the storage will be determined by its balance holder – the founder or head of the educational institution.
How will outsiders be allowed into school shelters?
Before allowing other citizens to use the school shelter, it is necessary to assess the possibility of safe joint stay.
To do this, zoning of premises should be provided to demarcate areas for students and other people. It is also necessary to determine the procedure for escorting visitors by security guards or facility staff, particularly at night, on weekends, and holidays.
Access by unauthorized persons to other premises and areas of the facility will be restricted. The exception will be the shelter itself and the path to it. Signs, diagrams, and rules of conduct must be placed on the territory, taking into account the needs of people with disabilities and low-mobility groups.
Information about shelters accessible to third parties and the rules for their use will be published on the official web portals of the founders of educational institutions or the institutions themselves. When determining accessibility, the free area of the shelter and the time when it can be used by other citizens will be taken into account.
How will children’s safety be ensured?
If local authorities allow students and other citizens to stay in the shelter at the same time, the institution’s management will have to organize additional security measures.
Throughout the entire time children are in the shelter, pedagogical staff, a psychologist, and a police or security officer, if available, must be present.
Areas for students and other visitors should be demarcated and, if possible, accommodate these groups in separate rooms. Their routes to and from the shelter should overlap as little as possible.
Separate bathrooms are also provided for participants in the educational process. Children with special educational needs should be provided with a separate room or a separate part of the room, where they can psychologically relieve stress and receive the necessary psychological, pedagogical, and correctional and developmental services.
As a reminder, Ukrainian businesses must provide employees and visitors with access to shelters or safe spaces by December 4, 2026. If a business fails to comply with this requirement, it will not be able to continue operating during a yellow air alert.
As reported, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has prepared criteria for determining the need for shelters in crowded places and a methodology for assessing safe spaces during explosions . The documents should help businesses determine how to organize the protection of visitors and employees. The transition period for enterprises that do not have shelters ends on December 4, 2026.
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