LEGAL MECHANISMS FOR INTEGRATING SECURITY COMPONENTS INTO EDUCATION POLICY

Abstract

The article examines the legal mechanisms for integrating physical, digital and psychosocial security into Ukraine’s education policy under martial law and protracted crises. The purpose of the article is to provide a theoretical and legal justification of education as a component of critical infrastructure and to develop a multilevel framework for aligning substantive and procedural legal norms, management procedures, standards and indicators that ensure safe and uninterrupted functioning of the education system. The research methodology is based on the analysis and synthesis of Ukrainian national legislation in the fields of education, civil protection, the legal regime of martial law, public procurement, personal data protection and cybersecurity, as well as on the study of international standards for risk management, information security and business continuity. The analytical toolkit is complemented by the concepts of “public value”, “co-governance” and “resilience thinking”, which are integrated with systemic, institutional and risk-based approaches in public administration. The scientific novelty of the results lies in substantiating education as an element of critical infrastructure whose ability to maintain learning continuity, protect the life, health and dignity of participants in the educational process, and sustain public trust in institutions determines the resilience of the state, and in designing a matrix of legal instruments, responsible actors and key safety indicators. The article demonstrates that the coordinated application of civil protection requirements, specific provisions of the martial law regime, public procurement procedures and rules on personal data protection and cybersecurity, together with business and educational continuity tools, forms an integrated architecture of safe education at national, regional and institutional levels. A matrix is outlined that covers physical infrastructure (shelters, evacuation routes, technical safety), digital services (electronic gradebooks, distance learning platforms, authentication tools), psychosocial support for learners and staff, financial transparency and mechanisms for community participation in decision-making. The conclusions substantiate an approach to monitoring safety in education based on open data, stakeholder co-participation and the “plan – do – check – act” cycle as a prerequisite for accountability and adaptability of the education system in protracted crises. The article also identifies directions for further research related to assessing the effectiveness of safety investments, validating indicators, improving mechanisms for community engagement and comparing co-governance models across territorial communities