Helping to integrate Ukrainian children into school

5.3.2022

The invasion of Ukraine has forced hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, especially mothers and children, to flee to the Czech Republic. Tens of thousands of these children are expected to head to Czech primary schools in the coming months. Tens of thousands more are expected to start at the beginning of the new school year.

Czech primary schools are not prepared for such an influx. Based on interviews with principals of primary schools in Olomouc that have already accepted Ukrainian children, we are seeing an increased demand for support in integrating these children into education. One of the basic needs appears to be the deepening of relations, trust and cooperation between Czech and newly arrived Ukrainian children.

From the beginning, the SrdceDen project was conceived as a support tool for primary school teachers, from which they can draw new knowledge and practical skills for the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN), including socially disadvantaged pupils from foreign language backgrounds. We therefore decided to focus the project on this group of pupils in particular to help teachers address this unprecedented social crisis.

Our intention is therefore to adapt all project activities to the actual needs of teachers and to enable them to better manage the situation related to the integration of Ukrainian children into their classrooms.