Parents may be fined for their children's absenteeism: the government has tightened control over school attendance

Ukraine is tightening control over school attendance to ensure every child's right to education. Thanks to the new rules, information about absenteeism will be shared between schools, the police, and social services much faster. Find out what penalties parents face if their child does not attend school without a valid reason

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The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted a resolution that improves the mechanism for registering school-age children. The new rules provide for the rapid exchange of information between educational institutions, the police, and child welfare services in order to more quickly identify cases where a child is not attending school without valid reasons. The changes were announced by the Juvenile Police of Ukraine.

This refers to Resolution No. 241 of February 25, 2026, which updates the procedure for registering preschool and school-age children. The changes were initiated by the Juvenile Prevention Department. The main goal of the innovations is to strengthen the protection of children's right to education and increase their safety through more effective interaction between government agencies.

The agency notes that the new rules will allow law enforcement officers to obtain information about children who have dropped out of the educational process more quickly and to respond promptly to such situations.

“The update will allow juvenile police officers to obtain information more quickly, interact more effectively with partners, and respond in a timely manner to situations where a child drops out of the educational process,” the Juvenile Police emphasized.

Ukraine tightens control over truancy in schools: what will change

According to the new rules, educational institutions must more quickly inform the relevant services about students who have stopped attending classes without valid reasons. This will allow the situation to be checked promptly and the necessary measures to be taken.

The updated algorithm provides for:

Clear deadlines for processing information. Specific deadlines have been set for processing and transmitting data on children who attend schools or kindergartens.

Interagency cooperation. Cooperation between schools, education authorities, child welfare services, and National Police units is being strengthened.

Digitization of records. The use of automated information systems is envisaged to help respond more quickly to cases where a child drops out of school.

Strengthening preventive work. A unified system for early risk detection is being developed to prevent cases where a child drops out of the educational process for a long time.

The police emphasize that monitoring school attendance is primarily aimed at protecting children's rights.

“The focus is on child safety, family support, and ensuring access to education for every child. This is another important step towards strengthening preventive work in communities and forming a unified system of early response to risks,” the agency said.

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What are the consequences for parents?

As explained by the head of the public organization “Parents SOS,” if a child misses more than 10 consecutive days of school without a valid reason, their parents or legal guardians may be held responsible.

According to Ukrainian law, the following penalties apply:

first offense — a fine of 850 to 1,700 UAH;

repeated offense within a year — a fine of 1,700 to 5,100 UAH or 20–40 hours of community service.

The final decision on punishment is made by the court, taking into account the specific circumstances of the situation.

Experts emphasize that the main goal of the new rules is not to punish parents, but to identify problems in a timely manner and support families so that every child has access to education and does not drop out of the educational process.

Reminder! Parents across the country are discussing rumors about “summer school” and the cancellation of vacations, but the reality is more complicated: the school schedule now depends on the situation in each specific community. Due to absences during blackouts, some schools may indeed change their schedules, but this does not mean mandatory schooling throughout the summer. Find out who may be affected by the changes and how much time children will have off.

Photo: Freepik

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