There are currently around 800,000 Ukrainian school-age children in Poland. Only a quarter of them attends Polish educational institutions. The situation of the others is not precisely known.
Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022, the Polish education system has faced an unprecedented challenge. According to the Ministry of Education, 200,000 refugee children have been placed in Polish schools. This happened practically overnight, without any preparation. What mattered above all was to provide young people with normality and the right to education as quickly as possible.
However, the time has come to take a more in-depth look at the educational situation of refugees. The HumanDoc Foundation, in partnership with the UN Global Compact Network Poland, is implementing a project aimed, on the one hand, at the best possible adaptation of Ukrainian young people in Polish schools and, on the other, at reaching those children who are still learning in the Ukrainian online system or not learning at all. Each of these groups faces different problems. Diagnosing and solving them as soon as possible is key to ensuring a successful future for young Ukrainians.
The project is implemented within the Education component of the United Business for Ukraine program of the UN Global Compact Network Poland, of which HumanDoc is a beneficiary.
Our objectives:
- to support Ukrainian students in finding their way in Polish schools
- to improve the psychological well-being of Ukrainian students
- to integrate young people learning online in Ukrainian schools into Polish society
- reaching out to children and young people who do not learn in any system
- developing Ukrainian pupils’ linguistic competence in the Polish language
- helping Ukrainian pupils to master the basic curriculum content required in Polish schools
- support for children with special educational needs (resulting from previous disorders or trauma), for whom there is often no place in Polish schools and who, due to their limitations, are unable to participate in an online Ukrainian school
- integration of Polish and Ukrainian pupils
- support for parents and guardians of Ukrainian pupils in better understanding of the way Polish schools function and the process of adaptation of their children to the new environment itself
- support for teachers and school caregivers working in institutions where Ukrainian students are studying.
How we do it:
In our integration centers in Warsaw and Opole, as well as with the help of HumanDoc mobile groups that reach refugee accommodation centers located far from big cities, will be organized:
- Polish language classes
- Remedial classes and homework help
- Pedagogical and psychological consultation and support for children and their carers
- Stress-reducing activities: singing, dancing, art, film, and blogging lessons
- Support groups run by psychologists, psychotherapists, and educationalists
- Consultation and support for children with special educational needs attending Polish schools (students with ADHD, Asperger’s, speech disorders, concentration disorders, etc., including speech therapy, psycho-sensory and psychological support)
- Educational integration activities with Ukrainian and Polish children, such as field games, joint participation in cultural events, sports activities, etc.
- Consultations for young people on continuing education and choosing a career path.
All others will be reached through special webinars dedicated to encouraging children and young people to continue their education, which not only allows them to acquire knowledge but provides stability, protection, and a sense of belonging. It restores a normal life.
The exclusive donor of the project “Educational support for refugee children and young people from Ukraine” is UN Global Compact Network Poland.
