Students of Kyiv's Shevchenko Art Lyceum left without free meals and stable timetable

Lack of funding blocks free lunches

Despite a state programme guaranteeing free hot meals for all schoolchildren, students at the capital's Shevchenko Art Lyceum are not receiving lunches. The problem has become acute for boarders living at the facility from other cities: they are entitled to free five-times-a-day meals, but it has not been possible to launch this process in time.

According to Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 809 dated 24 June 2026, such meals are mandatory. However, as parents and teachers note, the lyceum management failed to organise the process. Teachers were told that the necessary documentation was submitted on time, but funding never arrived. Deputy head of the general education cycle, Oksana Mykhailivna, said that the staff has no information about the specific date of document submission or the reasons for refusal:

«Просто так було повідомлено, що своєчасно всі документи подані… і просто не було фінансування, тому вона не змогла провести тендер» (It was simply stated that all documents were submitted on time... and there was simply no funding, so she could not conduct the tender).

Chaos with class schedule continues since September

The second major problem is the lack of a stable timetable. Parents report that at the start of the academic year on 1 September, families received neither a lesson schedule nor a bell schedule. The mother of a student, Kateryna, emphasises that even basic information about teachers was not provided to parents.

As of early October 2026, the lyceum still has no permanent schedule. Senior teacher of mathematics and physics, Iryna Osovska, explains that the timetable changes daily: the schedule approved yesterday may be different today. Even the teachers themselves do not always know their workload for the week.

This situation particularly worries parents of graduating students. Maryna, the mother of an 11th-grader planning to apply to the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, noted that as of mid-September she still had no schedule and had heard about the reduction of specialists and subjects:

«Я би хотіла бачити більш прозоро, і мені здається, це вже запізно в вересні вирішувати, які предмети саме у нас будуть» (I would like to see more transparency, and I think it is already too late in September to decide exactly which subjects we will have).

Meanwhile, teachers complain about reduced class hours and the absence of homeroom supervision.

Safety issues during air raid alerts

A separate issue is the conditions for children during air raid alerts. Students are forced to sit in a damp room because the ventilation in the shelter is broken. For boarders, this becomes a daily reality.

Criticism of management communication

Parents are dissatisfied not only with the situation itself but also with the style of communication with the administration. According to Kateryna, acting principal Alevtyna Kahidze is practically absent from the facility. In the parents' chat, specific questions are met with long answers devoid of substance, indicating a lack of transparency.

While disputes over the organisation of the educational process continued at the lyceum, the principal was abroad. In a TikTok video, Alevtyna Kahidze is seen tasting pastries with coffee in Berlin.

Teachers claim that they still do not understand the management decisions of the new leadership. Iryna Osovska said that the staff, through pedagogical councils, asked the principal to outline an action plan, but it was not possible to establish a dialogue.

Context of leadership change

Alevtyna Kahidze, a well-known artist, took over the lyceum as acting principal following the dismissal of Olena Avramenko, who had led the institution for over 30 years. According to the deputy head, before being appointed to this position, Kahidze had not worked in state general education institutions, and the directorship was the first entry in her employment record book.

Under martial law, managing an institution without a competition is legal. The Ministry of Culture promised to hold competitions for leadership positions only after the lifting of martial law.

While the administration seeks explanations, students remain without free lunches, a stable timetable, and adequate shelter conditions. Parents are waiting for improvements.