The Ministry of Education and Science informed refugees about the opportunity to learn Ukrainian as a second foreign language in Polish schools

With the outbreak of full-scale war, millions of Ukrainian families were forced to seek refuge abroad, and Poland became one of the countries that received the largest number of Ukrainian children. Many of them are currently studying in Polish schools, facing new conditions, a foreign language and the education system. For parents and children, the issue of preserving their native language and culture has become one of the most acute. After all, long-term study in another country without contact with the native language creates a risk of losing it, especially for younger schoolchildren. That is why the news that Ukrainian children can officially study Ukrainian as a second foreign language in Polish schools became important and long-awaited for many families. This allows not only to maintain children’s language skills, but also to maintain a connection with Ukraine and its culture, even while in another country.

March 18 Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MES) reported, that in accordance with Polish educational legislation, children from Ukraine who arrived in Poland after February 24, 2022, have the opportunity to choose Ukrainian as one of the foreign languages ​​to study at school. This right applies to those students who are subject to compulsory education in institutions of general secondary education in Poland.

Thanks to this opportunity, students can formally study Ukrainian language and culture as part of the curriculum. This is an important step that will help preserve the linguistic identity of children and make it easier for them to return to the Ukrainian education system in the future.

The Ministry of Education and Science noted that the teaching of the Ukrainian language in Polish schools can be organized by diplomatic or consular institutions of Ukraine, as well as cultural and educational organizations. However, an important condition is the agreement of this process with the school director and the relevant educational authorities in Poland.

According to current legislation, Polish schools are obliged to provide premises and necessary educational materials for such classes — and all this is free of charge for Ukrainian children. This approach creates real opportunities for the organization of a full-fledged educational process for studying the Ukrainian language.

The MES separately emphasized that in Poland compulsory study of foreign languages ​​is provided at school: from the first grade, children learn one foreign language, and starting from the seventh grade, a second foreign language is added. It is in this place that Ukrainian children have the opportunity to choose their native language as a second foreign language.

It is also important to know that the Polish system gives the student the right to independently decide whether to take the eighth grade exam in Polish. In the 2024/2025 academic year, Ukrainian students will take compulsory exams in mathematics and a modern foreign language. At the same time, there is an exception for those Ukrainian schoolchildren who continue their studies at a Ukrainian school remotely and plan to take the Ukrainian final exam in 2025 — they can be exempted from the Polish exam for the eighth grade.

The Ministry of Education and Culture also explained how Ukrainian families should initiate the process of introducing the study of the Ukrainian language in Polish schools. For this purpose, the child’s parents or legal representatives must independently apply to the school administration with an official request to introduce the Ukrainian language as a second foreign language. It is very important to discuss and agree all the details of this process with the director of the educational institution and the relevant educational structures.

Thus, the Ukrainian language can become a full-fledged part of the educational process in a Polish school – officially, with all the rights and obligations provided for by law. This gives Ukrainian children a chance not only to preserve their language, but also to remain a part of the Ukrainian cultural space even during a long stay abroad. This opportunity is an important step towards Ukrainian families who ended up in Poland because of the war. It allows children not to lose touch with their native country, which is especially important in the current difficult times, when every Ukrainian, wherever he is, feels the need to protect his language, culture and national identity.