Despite progress in accessing education, hundreds of thousands of school-aged refugee children from Ukraine remain out of school

As the third disrupted school year for children and youth from Ukraine draws to a close, more than 600,000 remain out of school across the European Union, from an estimated 1.4 million school-aged refugee children from Ukraine in the block. This is despite some progress in terms of school enrolment, particularly of primary school-aged children.

This week, UNHCR launched an interagency report analyzing trends and challenges in accessing education for Ukrainian refugee children and youth, which included inputs from partners UNICEF, UNESCO, UN Women, the European Commissions and OECD.

The study analyzes data from ten European countries hosting refugees from Ukraine, and while overall progress is apparent, there are significant disparities between countries, with enrolment rates ranging from highs of 97 per cent to as low as just 8 per cent. Many host countries still show double-digit percentages of refugee children and youth from Ukraine residing on their territory who are not enrolled in the country’s education system.

“As refugee children and youth from Ukraine face a fourth school year of disrupted education, more must be done to ensure that there is a place available in school for every child. National education system capacities must be strengthened and barriers to accessing education removed,” said Philippe Leclerc, Director of UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for Europe.

The study noted that some of the key barriers to enrolment which persist include a lack of preparatory classes as well as language classes for students to enable them to integrate into the national systems. These must be scaled up to ensure that all children can access sustainable, quality education in their host countries.

“Sadly, the war in Ukraine shows no signs of abating in the near future. We must ensure that children’s futures are not further disrupted. School enrolment in host countries is the best option until refugees can safely return home. Schools provide not only a space for learning but also a social and a safe space for children to heal from the experiences they have endured in fleeing their homes” added Leclerc. 

The study also highlights that some 57 per cent of families who have not enrolled their children in local schools say that online or remote education using Ukrainian educational content is a driver of this decision. While some parents remain hesitant to enroll their children in host countries, UNHCR emphasizes that enrolment in local schools does not exclude children from reintegrating into the Ukrainian education system, when it is safe for them to return home. On the contrary, it will help to build their skills and knowledge and ensure no gaps in education.

While it is important that refugee children maintain cultural links with their home country, this can be ensured alongside enrolment in national education systems of host countries.

As the Ukraine refugee emergency evolves into a protracted refugee education crisis, hundreds of thousands of children and youth remain at risk of having significant gaps in their learning, and other detrimental effects that may affect their well-being, safety and future prospects for many years to come.
 

For more information on this topic, please contact: 

In Geneva, Louise Donovan, [email protected], +41 79 2173058