A new school and a new life in Bucharest for the Ukrainian children

Until few weeks ago, Anastasiia was teaching English at a school in Odessa. Now she is doing the same, but at a school in Bucharest, where she is organizing classes for the Ukrainian refugee children. With the support of the Romanian authorities, Anastasiia and other Ukrainian teachers received access to eight classrooms at the National College Mihai Viteazu in Bucharest, where Ukrainian children can now continue their studies. 

There is a waiting list with 600 Ukrainian children who want to continue their studies in Bucharest, Anastasiia said. But still there is a need for more Ukrainian teachers to cover all the school subjects for all these pupils. 

UNICEF has already sent several school-in-a-box kits to the school, kits which contain useful materials for teachers and students, sport kits, as well as backpacks with supplies for refugee children. Every school bag contains notebooks, colored pencils, and a painting pallete. 

Sofiya and Liza are two of the 200 Ukrainian children who are now studying in Bucharest, at the National College Mihai Viteazu. They said they like their new school and their favorite subjects are Math and English. 

They came together in Romania with their English teacher, while their families are still in Odessa. While they continue their education in a safe place, they wait every single day to hear the sound of peace, to get back home to their parents and their pets. 

Ivan, 5 years old, left Mariupol with his father and his mother, and they arrived in Romania on the 20th of March. Now, Ivan is living with his family in Bucharest, and he goes to kindergarten with other Ukrainian children who came in Romania, and that are studying now at the National College Mihai Viteazu. 

„Our apartment at home is destroyed. We don’t have a home anymore in Mariupol. My child’s kindergarten was also destroyed. We don’t want to go back. We intend to stay longer in Romania. We don’t know when things will be fine at home”, said Ivan’s father. 

Some children who have fled Ukraine are still able to access their Ukrainian school curriculum online. For others, collective efforts must be made, including by refugee-hosting countries, to make sure that their education continues. In addition to the opportunity to keep learning, access to education also gives children some stability, protection, and a sense of belonging in a time of uncertainty. 

UNICEF continues to scale up its response inside Ukraine and across the refugee-hosting countries.