The Czech Republic has opened its doors to over 128,000 new Ukrainian children, according to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports in April 2023. The survey sought to ascertain the number of Ukrainian refugees in regional education. Schools have recorded 51,281 children and students from Ukraine as of March 31, 2023. This represents 2.8% of the total number of 1,850,751 students reported in performance data by schools by September 30, 2022. Preparatory classes and primary schools have the largest proportion of Ukrainian students at 7% and 3.9% of all children, respectively.

Last year, the United Nations Children’s Fund provided over CZK 22 million to create “zero grade” classes in secondary schools for Ukrainian children. The program aims to provide intensive Czech language education and introduce the students to the Czech school system to develop their study potential in traditional Czech secondary schools the following year.

Kindergarten districts in Cheb, Karlovy Vary, and Plzen-city have the largest percentage of Ukrainian children at 4.3%, 4.1%, and 4.1%, respectively. The Jeseník and Tachov districts saw the highest percentage increase in kindergartens with 81.3% and 66.7%, respectively.

The MŠMT plans to create a project to support schools and kindergartens in integrating Ukrainian children and students. The project aims to develop their Czech language skills and support their psychological well-being. The MŠMT will provide financial and methodological support to schools and kindergartens.

The survey results will help plan school capacity for the upcoming school year and ensure that schools are ready to accept the expected number of new students from Ukraine. The Czech Republic’s decision to accept refugees and support their integration into its educational system will provide Ukrainian children with a valuable opportunity to continue their education and provide them with a stable environment.

Article by Prague Forum