Educational Integration of Ukrainian Refugees Children in Maramureș County (RO)
About this good practice
One of the challenges encountered in Maramures County regarding Ukrainian refugees was providing education access for the children that remain in the region and Romanian language lessons.
After offering first basic help to Ukrainian refugees, next steps for those who remained for a longer time in Maramureș County was to offer access to education for adults and children. Maramureș County School Inspectorate as public local body involved in
- ensuring access to educational service by creating classes taught in Ukrainian at preschool, primary and secondary level;
- offering support through various funding and programs, as well as providing qualified teachers speakers of Ukrainian, in order to ensure an accessible, inclusive, quality education for children coming from conflict areas;
- providing specific training sessions and programmes on diversity, intercultural pedagogy and language development for teachers working in schools with refugee children;
- enhancing children’s access to Romanian language classes so as to acquire specific knowledge, through the introduction of 4 hours per week of Romanian language.
- inclusion in projects where they benefited from educational activities with NGO volunteers, school supplies, furniture, textbooks in Romanian and Ukrainian, teaching/educational games, laptops and free transport.
Challenges: involving Ukrainian pupils’ participation in extracurricular activities meant to facilitate their integration in the Romanian school system.
Resources needed
Financial resource assured from budget of each institution aprox. 6080 RON/teacher/month Maramureș County School Inspectorate provided information to Ukrainian parents about educational options for children, allowing to take the best decisions. School inspector to talk with parents of Ukrainian kids
Evidence of success
In 2022 - 2023, 199 Ukrainian students enrolled in county schools: 168 pupils enrolled at Secondary School classes taught in Ukrainian; 31 pupils assigned to other schools in classes taught in Romanian. 2 kinder garden classes established with teaching in Ukrainian. School year 2023/2024, 143 pupils enrolled, 48 in process of study recognition. Classes taught by 24 teachers, as follows: 3 primary school teachers, 19 secondary school teachers, all Ukrainian speakers&2 teachers from Ukraine
Potential for learning or transfer
This practice could be potentially interesting to other regions to learn from because of the special method of getting access to educational service by creating classes taught in Ukrainian at preschool, primary and secondary level by teacher from the Ukrainian communities that live in the county. The partnership between a public body and different NGO’s and representatives of the Ukrainian communities from the county were vital catalyst for a successful results in offering access to education for the children of refugees and adults.
Further information
Good practice owner
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