Ukrainian refugee children in Poland

Mapping education responses for Ukrainian refugees

More than 7 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the war on February 24, 2022, with estimates suggesting that many of them are children.

Regional overview

To contribute to global efforts to enhance refugee inclusion, and as the UN agency mandated to coordinate and monitor progress towards SDG4, UNESCO has been working with UNHCR and the Regional Refugee Education Technical Hub for Ukraine to assess the extent to which refugees are included in policy and data systems in refugee-hosting countries. Through a comprehensive review process, this mapping highlights key education policy and data responses to meet the needs of Ukrainian refugees, showing promising practices and gaps identified in seven refugee-hosting countries: 

Bulgaria | Czechia | Hungary | Poland | Republic of Moldova | Romania | Slovakia
 

34%
of Ukrainian refugees are estimated to be children
Intentions for Movement

At the beginning of 2023, a majority of Ukrainian refugees reported intentions to stay in their host country for the following three months.

Ukrainian refugee population vs. number of school-aged (3-17) refugee children

Numbers are the most recent figures available as of November 2023 and based on estimates of the percentage of children in Ukrainian refugee population. 

Ukraine-Mapping-Regional-Displaced-vs-school-aged_051223

Policy overview

On March 4, 2022, the Council of the European Union unanimously adopted the Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 in accordance with Article 5 of Directive 2001/55/EC, allowing EU Member States to grant temporary protection status to individuals displaced from Ukraine. Although the Republic of Moldova is not an EU Member State, its authorities have implemented measures aligned with the EU response to provide temporary protection to Ukrainians. 

According to Article 14 of the Directive, all persons under 18 years of age granted temporary protection are entitled to access the national education system on the same terms as nationals. In accordance with the Directive, all countries (including the Republic of Moldova) have adopted policies to guarantee access to education for Ukrainians. Beyond ensuring access, governments have also introduced policies and guidance to guarantee the safety, quality, and continuity of education for Ukrainian students. Based on a mapping of policy and data sources, the figure below provides an overview of policy measures across countries and indicates the availability of data relating to these measures.  

Policy pathways for Ukrainian refugees

Ukraine_Portal_Regional_Pathway_Overview

Promising practices

Across all countries, Ukrainian children have the right to enrol in the national education system. This right is often protected by national legislation, such as the Constitution or Education Law, and supported by decrees and ministerial orders outlining the relevant procedures for enrolment. Several countries have implemented measures to facilitate enrolment by easing documentation requirements and providing guidelines for the placement of Ukrainian students into appropriate grade levels. In Bulgaria and Poland, placement may be determined based on an interview with regional or school authorities in the absence of documentation proving the completion of studies in Ukraine. In Romania, a Commission consisting of school inspectors, teachers, and a psychologist or school counsellor determine placements based on age, level of development, and statements attesting to prior studies. Other policies measures aiming to ease access include expanding classroom capacity, as in Poland, where ministerial guidance states that capacity may be increased at the pre-primary and primary levels to absorb additional Ukrainian learners.  

As national systems face mounting pressure to accommodate additional learners, several countries have taken proactive measures to prioritise the safety of learners in existing and new facilities. Official guidance in Slovakia states that schools must maintain minimum safety standards when expanding classroom capacity. In Poland, alternative locations used to educate Ukrainian students must meet minimum standards relating to disaster-resilient infrastructure, water and sanitation facilities, and hygiene requirements. In some cases, capacity constraints may risk creating adverse safety conditions; for example, Czechia has granted schools hosting Ukrainian students exemptions from minimum hygiene requirements to ensure facilities can absorb additional learners. 

Other policies aiming to guarantee safe learning conditions for Ukrainian learners include provisions relating to health, nutrition, and well-being. In Hungary, minor temporary protection beneficiaries may receive free meals in schools. In the Republic of Moldova, ministerial guidance states that school directors, teachers, and psychologists are responsible for ensuring the well-being of Ukrainian students. 

Most host countries have introduced measures that promote quality learning conditions for Ukrainian students, taking into consideration their specific educational needs. In Czechia, official guidance states that educational content and curriculum may be temporarily adjusted to meet the needs of Ukrainian students, and teachers are encouraged to adapt assessment practices to gradually acclimate students to the system—for example, by providing verbal assessments before assigning written grades. Further, Czech school directors are encouraged to foster diversity in classrooms by placing non-national students in classes not composed exclusively of other non-nationals, except where no other arrangement is possible.  

In Bulgaria, the right to receive free language instruction is enshrined in the national legal framework, and in Romania, students attending language initiation courses are provided with free textbooks. Ukrainian learners in Romania also benefit from guaranteed access to psychosocial support provided by school counsellors while attending language courses or while enrolled as students. In Slovakia, Ukrainian students are granted access to Slovak language courses funded by regional authorities. School directors may appoint language instructors from among regular employees of the school or recruit external candidates to conduct courses.  

To support schools in delivering quality education, some governments have provided additional funding and resources to institutions hosting Ukrainian learners. In Hungary, during the 2021-2022 school year, a grant of HUF 130,000 (350 EUR) per month per student was disbursed to institutions providing at least 5 hours of one-on-one support to Ukrainian students. In Slovakia, the Ministry of Education disbursed a one-time payment of 200 EUR per student to primary and secondary schools to cover the costs of school supplies and other expenses.   

In all countries, Ukrainian students may progress through all levels of general education on the same basis as national students. In contexts where transitions are contingent upon passing an assessment, such as a primary or secondary leaving exam, some countries have granted Ukrainian learners modified conditions to accommodate their specific educational needs. For example, in Poland, Ukrainian students taking the grade 8 exam are granted extended time to complete the exam, translated instructions in Ukrainian, and the use of a dictionary. In Czechia, Ukrainian students taking the secondary entrance exam may take the written Mathematics test in Ukrainian and have their knowledge of the Czech language verified by interview rather than a written exam. 

In other cases, Ukrainian learners are exempted from requirements that could hinder their successful transition between levels. This is the case in Romania, where Ukrainian learners may advance to grade 9 without taking the National Exam. Furthermore, official guidance has stated that the enrolment capacity in grade 9 may be expanded to accommodate Ukrainian students beyond the maximum number of places. 

Ukrainian learners are eligible to graduate and receive certification for completing secondary education in all countries. To facilitate this process for Ukrainian students, certain countries have implemented modified conditions for the national matriculation exam. In Poland, students taking the matriculation exam are granted adaptations including the translation of instructions into Ukrainian, extended time, and the ability to use a dictionary. In Czechia, Ukrainian students may use a Czech spelling guide and translation dictionary and receive 25% extended time to complete written exams. In Slovakia, students who have attended education in the Slovak language for less than two years may benefit from 50% extended time to complete the matriculation exam. Moreover, most countries have implemented measures regarding the recognition of prior learning completed in Ukraine to facilitate enrolment in higher education or access to the labour market.  

Provisions related to higher education vary across countries. While Ukrainian students are generally permitted to enrol in universities, some governments have implemented measures to enhance access and ensure smooth transitions. In Hungary, the Students at Risk sub-programme under the Stipendium Hungaricum Programme offers scholarships covering tuition, accommodation, medical insurance, and a monthly stipend for Ukrainian students pursuing studies in a Hungarian university. In Poland, Ukrainian students are granted access to federal scholarships and loans. Higher education institutions in Romania have increased their capacity by up to 20% for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years to accommodate students from Ukraine and are encouraged to organize counselling and orientation activities to facilitate the successful integration of Ukrainian students into the academic environment.  

Gross enrolment rate of Ukrainian school-aged refugee children for the 2023/2024 school year

Numbers are the most recent figures available for each of the 7 RRRP countries as of November 2023 and are based on estimates of the number of school-aged children in the Ukrainian refugee population.

Ukraine-Mapping-Regional-Enrollment-rate-by-country_051223

Gross enrolment rate of Ukrainian school-aged refugee children over time

Numbers are for school-aged (3-17) refugee children in the 7 RRRP countries over three school years.

Gross enrolment rate of Ukrainian school-aged refugee children over time

Barriers to enrolment

Online learning

Students are attending All-Ukrainian Online School, hoping to return to Ukraine soon.

Language barriers

Ukrainian children face language barriers with limited language support programs.

Absorption capacity

Limited absorption capacity in schools in countries like Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Czechia.

Teacher shortages

Countries face teaching staff shortages and limited capacity for language and preparatory classes.

Sharing timely data on enrolment rates is essential to planning the operational response and to understanding and strengthening the absorption capacity of host countries' education systems.

Data gaps

Education support requires updated, centralised data on the number of refugees, their location in host communities, and their intentions for movement.

  • Regularly updated enrolment data is required, as well as its disaggregation by location, school level, age groups, and gender.
  • Data on the enrolment, attendance, and progress of children studying on the All-Ukrainian Online School is not currently available.

There is currently a lack of data on the absorption capacity of host country schools. In addition to numbers on the physical spaces available, understanding absorption capacity will require information on:

  • teachers' capacity
  • availability of material and equipment
  • ability of teachers and schools to implement language programs

Note

UNESCO is conducting a mapping of data and policies by working with partner organisations and cross-checking multiple credible sources. Some of this data is based on estimated figures. These published data, which will be regularly updated, do not commit the Organization.