Education of Ukrainian children in Poland - basic information

Abstract

Aim. The aim of the study was to attempt to familiarise the subject of the systemic and local solutions introduced in Poland in order to minimise problems related to the admission of Ukrainian children to educational institutions.

Concept. The study reviewed the legal acts and recommendations of the Ombudsman concerning the education of children, mainly Ukrainian, in Polish schools.

Results and conclusions. The inclusion of a large number of Ukrainian children in the Polish educational system required the cooperation of representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, school boards, non-governmental organisations and local authorities, as well as teachers and educators themselves. In response to the difficulties, the Polish Ombudsman recommended simplifying the process of recruiting teachers and cultural assistants from Ukraine to Polish educational institutions. International classes were created and anti-discrimination and multicultural education was implemented to integrate refugees especially during distance learning. The Ministry of Education immediately responded to all recommendations with concrete actions, including planning multicultural classrooms. In addition, alternative options were suggested, such as the establishment of new educational institutions based on the Ukrainian system and the provision of remote education as an alternative to enrolling students directly in preparatory or mainstream classes. The importance of developing information in Ukrainian and Russian, such as enrolment details and electronic diary information (recommendations of the Polish Ombudsman), was also highlighted (RPO-rekomendacje (2022).

Cognitive value. The work makes it possible to become familiar with the wide range of activities undertaken for the admission of children, mainly Ukrainian, to Polish educational institutions. It provides an opportunity to identify the problem of adjusting the Polish educational system to the reception of a large number of refugees in a short period of time.