The education of 5.5 million children has been turned upside down by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with an average of 22 schools a day coming under attack, according to Save the Children.
The international NGO is using official government figures from the Ukraine Ministry of Education and Science to chronicle the war's impact on children.
At least 869 education facilities — or about 6 per cent of schools in the country — have been damaged, the statistics reveal, with 83 completely destroyed.
"Education is under attack in Ukraine," Pete Walsh, Ukraine country director for Save the Children said.
"It is unbearable to see schools and nurseries attacked indiscriminately."
Nearly half of the Ukrainians who have fled the country are children, the UN refugee agency revealed last month.
An estimated 4.2 million refugees have left Ukraine since the war began, with about 6.5 million displaced within the country.
It means more than 10 million people — about a quarter of the population — have left their homes in the past six weeks.
For the 5.5 million children remaining in Ukraine — and their teachers — it has been a harrowing time as they attempt to return to the classroom.
"The rules of war are very clear: Children are not a target and neither are schools. We must protect the children in Ukraine at all costs."
Classrooms become bomb shelters
Some classrooms have been turned into emergency accommodation as displaced Ukrainians look for somewhere to hide amid Russian attacks.
But finding a safe haven for families has proven difficult, as shown by the gruesome attack on the Mariupol Theatre on March 16.
About 300 people were killed by Russian shelling of the building, despite the word "children" being written on the ground outside in giant Cyrillic letters.
Save the Children said about 43 per cent of the attacks on schools had occurred in eastern Ukraine, — the centre of the conflict that began in 2014 — where more than 400,000 children lived before mass evacuations.
Kharkiv has been one of the worst-hit cities, with 50 educational buildings destroyed since the conflict escalated with the Russian invasion on February 24.
Quality education in 'times of vulnerability'
But Mr Walsh said it was imperative Ukrainian authorities attempted to keep schools open and children learning despite the chaos and destruction unfolding around them.
"Quality education enables children and youth to survive and thrive at times of great uncertainty and vulnerability, and bolsters their resilience amidst adversity while supporting their socio-emotional and cognitive development.
"It also protects them from the violence, abuse, and exploitation that rise precipitously during emergencies."
Teacher shortage adds to Ukraine's challenges
Mr Walsh explained that another challenge facing Ukraine's education system was a lack of teachers — a problem that existed even before the Russian invasion.
"Most teachers in the country are female, which is adding to the shortages as the majority of people fleeing the conflict are women and children," he said.
Since 2014, Save the Children has been operating in eastern Ukraine, providing humanitarian aid to children and their families.
It warned that because an attack on a school was classified as a grave violation committed against children, it could constitute a war crime.
"All students and teachers must be protected from the horrors of this war," Mr Walsh said.
"How many more lives need to be lost until this war ends?"
