Three weeks into the largest refugee flight in Europe since World War II, more than 75,000 new students have registered in the Polish education system. The country is not sure how it will accommodate the new arrivals.
With the greatest portion of Ukrainian refugees landing in Poland, Education and Science Minister Przemyslaw Czarnek projected on Friday that the overall number could grow to“The Polish educational system is not prepared for this,” said Jacek Kucharczyk, president of the Institute of Public Affairs, a think tank in Warsaw.
Poland is not sure how it will accommodate the new arrivals. It was already facing a teacher-and-classroom shortage. And that sets up the potential for schools to become a point of backlash in the months ahead. The government has allocated additional money to support schools, including $42 million for “psychological and pedagogical assistance.”The Ministry of Education and Science has also issued guidance for Ukrainian parents and children on how to enroll and for educators on how to teach child refugees fleeing war.
While the mayor praised the “tremendous kindness” Warsaw residents have shown toward Ukrainians, he acknowledged concern that sentiments might sour if classes balloon and Polish parents see their children’s education suffer.