Displaced Ukrainian children struggling in schools, EU warns

Ukrainian children fleeing to other countries are facing significant challenges in adapting to new schools, according to says EU.
Language barriers and teacher shortages are hindering the integration of these children into the education system.
Access to mental health care is another major obstacle for these young refugees.

Children who have fled Ukraine are encountering significant difficulties in adapting to schools in host countries, according to the European Union.

The EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency has pointed out that language barriers and a shortage of teachers are impeding the integration of these children into the educational system.

Additionally, access to mental health care is proving to be another major obstacle.

The EU has highlighted that approximately 1.3 million Ukrainian children are currently residing in member states, with the majority of them being under the age of 14.

Under the Temporary Protection Directive, children who left Ukraine due to the conflict with Russia have the right to education under the same conditions as local students.

Michael O’Flaherty, the head of the FRA, emphasized the challenges these children face, including the uncertainty of their circumstances.

They have been separated from their families, forced to learn a new language, adapt to a new culture, and make new friends, all while not knowing how long this precarious situation will persist.

The language barrier poses difficulties not only in the classroom but also in accessing counseling services, according to the FRA.

Additionally, healthcare services, especially mental health support, vary from one country to another and are particularly hard to access in countries with strained systems, even more so when traumatized newcomers arrive.

Many of these students are now starting their second school year away from their homes, and the FRA has warned that they are at risk of falling behind in their education.

The unique challenge of protecting children who arrived without adult guardians is also a concern, and some countries have had to establish specialized teams to support them.

Host countries must also address the specific needs of disabled refugee children, ensuring accessibility and inclusion.

Furthermore, children evacuated from Ukrainian institutions require individualized care.

The FRA pointed out that some member states lack clear data on the number of Ukrainian children in their country and the absence of a uniform approach to registering children throughout the EU hampers efforts to provide them with the necessary support.

Unicef reported in August that more than half of school-aged children from Ukraine were not enrolled in national education systems in seven host countries.

According to the UN, there are 5.8 million Ukrainian refugees in Europe, with Poland and Germany each hosting around 1 million, and more than 300,000 going to the Czech Republic.

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