International Day of Education 2023
Inclusive Quality Education & Learning for All Children – Integration of Ukrainian Refugee Children in Education: Challenges and Opportunities
On the International Day of Education, 24 January 2023, UNICEF and the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports reaffirmed their commitment to achieving inclusive quality education and learning for all children in the Czech Republic at an event opened by the Minister of Education, Youth, and Sports (MoEYS), Prof. JUDr. Vladimír Balaš, CSc, and the Head of UNICEF Refugee Response Office, Ms. Yulia Oleinik. Representants of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, civil society, the academia, the UN agency, and the embassies participated and exchanged on the integration of Ukrainian refugee children in education, by focusing on both challenges and opportunities.
PAQ Research presented the latest data and evidence from the survey “Voices of Ukrainian” on Education which was conducted in partnership with UNICEF and the MoEYS. The findings revealed that most Ukrainian refugee children attend school in the Czech Republic. However, preschoolers and students of upper secondary education face more challenges to access quality learning. Then, the Chief Inspector of Schools highlighted various school-level measures and strategies as well as remaining challenges. UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia emphasized the importance to intensify and accelerate the efforts for the inclusion of Ukrainian children in national education systems, with qualified teachers and learning materials to support their learning, development and well-being. A researcher from the SYRI National Institute finally revealed complex realities on the ground by sharing emerging findings from in-depth case studies of Czech schools integrating Ukrainian refugees.
Following the presentation segment, a lively panel discussion was organized with education actors from a variety of contexts, including Ukrainian teaching assistants and psychologist, Czech school principal, education authority of a district in Prague, and an active NGO supporting the Ukrainian refugees and other migrants. Each of them shared their respective experiences and perspectives based on their daily interactions with and support to both Ukrainian and Czech students, teachers and families. They stressed the critical importance of interventions such as strengthening capacity of Czech teachers and Ukrainian teaching assistants; providing mental health and psychosocial support; Czech language development; information support to parents; school leadership and cooperation with municipality authorities etc. in the integration of Ukrainian refugee children in Czech schools and society.
Since the beginning of the crisis, more than 51,909 children and adolescents, including 330 Roma refugee children, have been supported in their learning through interventions under the joint work plan between UNICEF and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. In cooperation with partners, we trained more than 4,479 teachers, school staff and educators to ensure safe and collaborative education, mental health and psychosocial support, and teaching Czech as a second language. In addition, over 832 Ukrainian and Czech teaching assistants have been supported through 5-month qualification courses throughout the country to facilitate learning and integration of Ukrainian children into Czech schools. An important part of the cooperation is also a communication campaign aimed at providing information about the education system and schools to thousands of families coming from Ukraine.
