Ukrainian children in EU education systems – what is the state of play?

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has led to one of the world’s largest refugee situations. A June 2024 European Commission report shows that EU countries have supported the schooling of Ukrainian refugee pupils, including through compulsory schooling, language assistance, financial aid, teacher training and cultural integration opportunities.

However, the report – based on a survey of 23 EU countries – also shows that challenges to integration into education include language barriers, wellbeing, teacher shortages and preferences of families to keep ties with Ukraine through online learning. EU countries have exchanged ideas about what steps to take to overcome the remaining challenges.

Around half of Member States have compulsory schooling for displaced pupils from Ukraine, and more are preparing to introduce it in the future. An equal number offer reception or integration classes (some specifically for pupils from Ukraine).

Support for learning the language of schooling is widespread in the EU, and psychological support is available in many countries (in some, specifically tailored for refugees). There are also good examples of schools helping learners in EU education systems to maintain their links with Ukraine.

Ukraine has set up a simplified programme of 6 or 8 hours per week on Ukrainian language, literature, history and geography (available in Ukrainian) for children abroad. Recognition of study periods abroad is facilitated through cooperation between Ukraine and host countries. Funding under Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps provides significant support to displaced Ukrainian students and staff.

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), in another enrolment-focused report, Education of refugee children and youth from Ukraine, analysed household survey data from 10 European countries. It found that though it varies greatly by country, a significant proportion of refugee children from Ukraine remain out of school. This is particularly true for secondary-level pupils, while primary-level pupils are more likely to be enrolled in host-country systems. Households who have not enrolled their children in host-country education systems indicate, as their main reasons, attending Ukrainian distance learning, language barriers and capacity problems in host systems. The expectation that families will move on or return to Ukraine also plays a role. The report also points towards a shift in the attitudes of refugees who stay longer in the host countries: numbers of children in local education are significantly higher for refugee families who have been in their host countries for over 12 months.