Additional USD 286 Million to Support Education in Ukraine: World Bank Announces New Funding at URC 2026
During the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026), the World Bank announced an additional USD 286 million in financing to support Ukraine's education sector under the LEARN programme — Lifting Education Access and Resilience in Times of Need.
The announcement was made by Bob Saum, World Bank Regional Director for Eastern Europe, during the high-level panel discussion "Investing in the Next Generation: Education, Skills and Youth Empowerment for Europe's Shared Economic Prosperity." The discussion focused on mobilising international support for Ukraine's education and youth sectors and was organised by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine together with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine. The event brought together representatives of governments, international organisations, and financial institutions.
The additional funding will be channelled through the General Fund of the State Budget of Ukraine and allocated to priority needs in the education sector.
The LEARN programme is implemented through the Program-for-Results (PforR) financing instrument, under which disbursements are made upon the achievement of agreed results. Under the new financing agreement, Ukraine will receive the additional funding after delivering on the following targets:
training 60,000 Grade 9 teachers to implement the New Ukrainian School (NUS) standards;
providing free NUS textbooks to 300,000 Grade 9 students and 300,000 Grade 4 students;
expanding the free school transportation programme to approximately 50,000 students, an increase of 32,000 beneficiaries;
updating the 2026 allocation criteria for subventions supporting school shelters and school buses, with priority given to children with disabilities;
scaling up preschool education reform through the implementation of a new strategic framework and updated infrastructure standards.
Since the launch of the LEARN programme, Ukraine has already mobilised USD 451 million to support education. The programme has enabled more than 240,000 teachers to receive training for implementing the New Ukrainian School reform, provided new textbooks to over 779,000 students, ensured free transportation to school for more than 18,000 children, and improved access to safe shelters for approximately 12,000 students and educators.
Ahead of URC 2026, Ukraine signed the corresponding financing agreement with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), a member of the World Bank Group, to secure this additional funding. The financing is fully provided by the Government of Japan, which remains one of the key partners supporting the LEARN programme. In 2024, Japan contributed USD 235 million to the programme and has now mobilised an additional USD 286 million.
The Lifting Education Access and Resilience in Times of Need (LEARN) programme is supported, among others, by the Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Trust Fund (URTF). It supports the implementation of the New Ukrainian School reform, the transformation of preschool education, the creation of safe learning environments, infrastructure modernisation, and the strengthening of institutional capacity across Ukraine's education system.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine expresses its sincere gratitude to the World Bank, the Government of Japan, and all international partners for their continued support of Ukraine's education sector and for their shared commitment to ensuring that every child has access to quality and safe education, even in times of war.