EU to provide financial aid to Polish schools facing influx of Ukrainian pupils
Jakub Tyszkowski,01.08.2024 15:00Up to 80,000 Ukrainian children will join the Polish education system in September. The Ministry of National Education has secured substantial financial support from the European Union to facilitate their integration. Deputy Education Minister Joanna Mucha provided the details.
A significant number of Ukrainian children arrived in Poland following the Russian invasion in February 2022. Estimates suggest that up to 180,000 young refugees have started new lives away from their family homes. Until now, Ukrainian students could continue their compulsory education remotely in Ukraine or through a mixed system.
More Ukrainian children in Polish schools
The Ministry of National Education estimates that up to 80,000 Ukrainian children will enroll in Polish schools under the new regulations. Many of these students will join primary schools, leading the government to increase the class size limits for primary school grades I-III.
The Ministry of Education has issued guidelines for headteachers: if a class has 25 pupils, four Ukrainian children can join; if 26 pupils, three; if 27 pupils, two. This increase in pupil limits also applies to kindergartens.
Poland has received financial support from the European Union to facilitate the integration of Ukrainian children into the school system. Deputy Education Minister Joanna Mucha announced this during a Joint Commission of Government and Local Self-Government meeting.
"We have secured a substantial EU grant to support the integration of Ukrainian children into Polish schools, including the introduction of compulsory education and combining it with the 800+ programme. Since we obtained this EU grant relatively recently, we expect to have the funds available by 1 January 2025," Mucha stated.
Ukrainian pupils to enroll in Polish schools
The funds will subsidise intercultural assistance, teacher training, and psychological support for Ukrainian children. A working group will be established at the Ministry of Education to monitor the integration of Ukrainian children into the Polish school system. This group will also include representatives from local authorities.
The cost of including Ukrainian children in Polish education presents a challenge for the state budget. Funds for this purpose come from the Aid Fund (Fundusz Pomocy), which provides support for refugees. This fund will require an additional PLN 0.6 billion this year and approximately PLN 2.4 billion in 2025.
Sources: Rzeczpospolita/PAP
