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 of 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 (CGU) in collaboration with the organisation's Education Department.

50% of children of Ukraine who left their country 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 and facilitating the children of Ukraine’s access to education, as well as current practices, are examined in the Study*. The analysis also presents effective strategies for integrating children of Ukraine into local schools, tailoring enrolment, and rendering class placements flexible, while protecting their right to cultural identity by  encouraging their connection with the Ukrainian culture and language.

The Study encourages member states to:

• promote in-person schooling for all children of Ukraine through raising awareness among parents and guardians about its benefits;
• provide additional places in schools and a sufficient number of competent teachers;
• set up monitoring systems to identify any children outside the education system;
• use initial assessments to create individualised learning plans instead of fixed placements;
• apply a “whole-school” approach to build inclusive environments and strengthen teachers’ ability to support diverse classrooms;
• collaborate with Ukraine’s Ministry of Education to help children preserve their cultural identities.

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 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.

 Mapping Study on children of Ukraine's access to education in Council of Europe member states

 Leaflet - Consultation Group on the Children of Ukraine