4.14.4.2. Children’s education

In 2022, national authorities and civil society organisations focused on facilitating access to education for Ukrainian children, which entailed several legislative changes, the creation of new information material and the provision of special guidance and support to schools and educators.1209 The European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) reported on European and national initiatives to support Ukrainian children’s access to education.1210

For child beneficiaries of international protection, a new guide for the integration of refugee children was disseminated to schools in Portugal, including practical suggestions for raising awareness.1211

The Italian Ministry of the Interior made 100 university scholarships available for beneficiaries of international protection for the 2022-2023 school year.1212

DFUNK, the youth branch of the Danish Refugee Council and the Danish Youth Council (DUF), developed a flyer for local civil society organisations on providing support for the integration of children and youth beneficiaries of international protection and encouraging enrolment in formal education. The recommendations were formulated to be transferable to other national contexts as well.1213 In general, the Danish Ministry for Immigration and Integration found that more and more non-Western immigrants (who arrived to Denmark at an early age) and descendants of beneficiaries of international protection and other immigrants complete higher education, and while there still was a gap with native Danes, it has significantly narrowed over the past years.1214 According to the national integration barometer, education is the area where the greatest improvement was observed over the past 10 years.1215

UNHCR Slovenia published support material for primary and secondary school teachers on teaching child beneficiaries of international protection and teaching children in general about refugees.1216

The civil society organisation France Terre d’Asile published a special newsletter focusing on access to higher education for beneficiaries of international protection. The publication shows some support measures which are in place and notes administrative and financial challenges in beneficiaries’ access to higher education studies. For example, it notes that refugees can be exempted from university fees by the head of the university, but this may not be widely known.1217

Several NGOs working in Ireland launched a new online learning platform for beneficiaries of international protection who have restricted access to education, focusing on language learning and IT skills.1218

The University of East London released a series of reports related to the digitalisation of support services for refugee children and youth in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reports make recommendations on supporting unaccompanied children in developing digital skills,1219 designing hybrid forms of support services in a suitable manner1220 and supporting civil society staff on providing emotional assistance online.1221