Measures to Support Ukrainian Refugees' Education

Abstract

The aggression of Russia in Ukraine concerning the conflict has displaced more than 4 million Ukrainians, many of whom are women and children, who are now refugees in other countries. This remains one of the biggest challenges in providing continued access to education. Schools all across Europe have embraced the challenge of receiving many students from Ukraine into their institutions. Some key actions taken for their educational needs are as follows: Ukrainian assistants and translators, the arrival of Ukrainian language teachers, provision of Ukrainian books, online learning, a welcome point at the schools, trauma-sensitive education to tutors, social inclusion through extra curriculum activities, grants from local and state level, inter-municipal and with Ukraine authority for reports, transfer certificates, bridging programs and no document required for school enrollment. Counseling, as well as anti-bullying programs, must also be strengthened to provide safe settings for refugee youths to be successful academically and psychologically during this tremendous transformation. That said, the task has not been easy. Still, European education systems have shown empathy and operational flexibility in tackling this challenge to ensure that the academic needs of young displaced Ukrainians are not compromised.