Access to education for children from Ukraine in Europe: time to move from emergency response to long-term solutions, says Council of Europe study

On World Children's Day, the Council of Europe warns that language barriers, limited school capacity, and difficult tracking of out-of-school children are among the key challenges faced by millions of children from Ukraine seeking refuge and access to education in Europe - as well as by their host states. Today, as the grim milestone of 1,000 days of war in Ukraine has just been reached, it is time to move from emergency solutions to more sustainable, long-term mechanisms. This is the key message of a new Mapping Study prepared by the Secretariat of the Council of Europe's Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine in collaboration with the organisation's Education Department.

50% of children who left Ukraine because of the war are still to be enrolled in their host countries' education systems. 60% of children enrolled take online classes broadcast from Ukraine, in parallel with classes in regular school. Children fleeing war often suffer from trauma, and face psychological distress and a feeling of instability. The situation in certain European states is more pressing than in others: as of May 2024, two European states - Poland and Czechia - had the highest ratio of persons under temporary protection, having fled Ukraine.

These and other challenges faced by member states in ensuring Ukrainian children's access to education, as well as current practices, are examined in the study*. The analysis also presents effective strategies for integrating these children into local schools, tailoring enrolment, and rendering class placements flexible, while protecting their right to cultural identity by encouraging their connection with Ukrainian culture and language. This study marks a new step towards building resilient, inclusive education systems across Europe.

Since the onset of the war of aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, Council of Europe member states have been committed to safeguarding the fundamental rights and freedoms of the children of Ukraine, including their right to education. This commitment was reaffirmed in the Reykjavík Declaration, adopted by Heads of State and Government in May 2023. The Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine, which was set up to implement the Declaration, led the development of the study.

* The Mapping Study is based on desk research of official, non-governmental, academic, and private online sources available in English, Ukrainian and Polish languages conducted in May-June 2024. It analyses practices in 32 Council of Europe member states, in which refugees from Ukraine recorded as of May 2024 exceeded 10,000 persons, and is supplemented with examples from 13 other member states. The Study was last updated on 3 November 2024.

Press release
Access to education for children of Ukraine in Europe: time to move from emergency response to long-term solutions, says Council of Europe study