Schools in Europe have been showing solidarity in finding places in which to accommodate 1.5 million Ukrainian children displaced by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Schools from Poland to Ireland have been expanding classes, translating curriculums and offering online classes to help Ukrainina school children who were uprooted from their homeland. According to the UNICEF, about half of the over 3.6 million Ukrainian refugees are children, with the largest number of inflows arriving in Poland, Hungary, Romania and Moldova.
Ireland, immediately waived the country’s visa requirements right after Putin ordered the Russian forces to invade Ukraine in Feb. 24. In no time at all, Ireland is currently home to more than 10,000 Ukrainians. The Irish government is also giving priority to the registration of Ukrainian teachers who will be able to provide the academic support needed by the Ukrainian children staying in Ireland.
The UNICEF Lauds European Countries for Huge Solidarity
The United Nations agency in charge of looking after the children’s welfare across the globe, is all praises for many countries for their solidarity in the face of the growing refugee crisis in Europe.
The UNICEF acknowledges that doing so is a vast operation for the education systems, especially in countries already struggling with limited budgets as result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On top of that, many recognize the refugee children’s need for psychological and special language support. Bear in mind that many of the refugee children were separated from their fathers who had to stay behind to fight for the preservation of their freedom and right to live in their own country.
UNICEF explains that getting the children back into school environment as quickly as possible is important not only for their own development, but also in ensuring the future of Ukraine as a nation. Joe English, a spokesman for UNICEF said that even for a short term, attending abschool will provide the children with stability and structure. Such factors are important in helping them cope with the trauma they have been experiencing in the past month.
Poland Has Been at the Forefront in Helping Ukraine Refugees
In the shortest time possible, Poland, which has been hosting more than 2 million refugees from Ukraine, was quick to change laws in order to boost funds for education and increase class sizes, as well as provide a hotline for parents who have been separated from their childre. Around half of Polish schools are now hosts to many Ukrainian students.
Moreover, the government has set aside its normal hiring rules in allowing Ukrainian school teachers. It has registered more than 100,000 students as about half of Polish schools now contain Ukrainian children.
