Warsaw – 4th September 2023. For millions of children in Poland, today, the school bell will ring again, marking the beginning of a new academic year.

Among them, many refugee children from Ukraine will also either start, or continue their education in Polish schools. With over 383,000 children from Ukraine currently present in Poland, schools, education institutions, INGOs, NGOs and CSOs, have been preparing to welcome (back) students from Ukraine into schools and classes.

As of September 2023, data shared by the Polish Government show that there are around 181,700 refugee children currently enrolled in the Polish educational system, meaning that less than half of the refugee children in Poland are registered in local schools[1]. While, according to recent UNICEF’s data, only around one in five (22 per cent)[2] Ukrainian students at secondary school age was attending a Polish school at the end of the 2022/2023 academic year.

Save the Children spoke with children who were attending school in Poland last year, and asked them about their experiences, their best memories, their concerns and their dreams. Their words have deeply inspired us, and we believe that their accounts could be truly inspirational for other children from Ukraine who are coming back to school this September. Here are their stories in their own words.

Katia*, 15, a highly motivated student living in Warsaw.

“My advice would be to definitely start studying at school, in the classroom.” Before moving to Poland, she was attending online school in Ukraine and – she told us – “it was hard, because it was the beginning of the war, [and] either there was no power supply, or there was the [air] alarm, so we had to turn off the classes”. Even during these complicated moments, Katia* did not stop focusing on her studies and thinking about her future, and the future of her country.

“For the first month of the war I was sitting in the basement, but already back then I was studying for some final exams, because I knew that the country was being damaged, and that we would have to rebuild it. So, we need to study, we need to know how to do that.”

Katia* is convinced that “everything depends on us [youth]. That’s why it is really important to study, and especially in times of war. To express gratitude, and then to recover and rebuild [one’s] life”.

Lionel*, a 12-year-old boy who is deeply passionate about football.

Lionel* really enjoys going to school and spending time with the friends that he met there. However, he recalls the challenges that he faced when he arrived at his new school: “At first, when I just came here, I was very scared because everything was new and unfamiliar. And I did not know what it was going to be like”.

However, he soon managed to make new friends, and to keep close to those who he met during the summer: “there was even a boy with whom I was hanging out already in the summer. We went fishing [together], we were playing outside. And also this year we are planning on playing together”.

Lionel* also told us that playing football helped him a lot with both getting to know other children who share his interests, and in improving his Polish language skills. “I am learning Polish here at school, and I also speak Polish at the football pitch, and it really helps me, because many of the words I know, [I learned them] from the football training. So, I always speak Polish there.”

Mery*, 12, told us that practicing sports after school has greatly helped her in adapting to living in Poland. In fact, it helped her in growing her confidence speaking Polish and allowed her to make friends.

“I go to the dancing classes, and there I met a lot of new people and friends, and there aren’t only Ukrainians there. At the dancing classes, everything is in Polish, so it helps me that I can speak Polish, so I can understand.” – Mery*.

Mery* is really excited about going to school, even though, at the beginning it has not been easy for her: “When I first came here, everything was unclear. We didn’t know how long the war would last and we didn’t know where to live. I didn’t know whether I would go to school at all, and how it was going to be. And I had a real mess in my head. But now everything is arranged. I have a school, I have friends”.

Mery* enjoys the different activities and trips that are offered to the students at her school, as well as the integration activities involving both children from Poland and Ukraine.

“We did some sports together, and for sure we started some friendships. And with some of them, even now, we chat on social media. I think that these joint activities would really help, and I would really like to play volleyball with these Polish children again.”

Thinking about going back to school, Mery* told us: “As for me, I don’t like online school. Because I think school is not only about knowledge, but also about friends and the environment. Through the computer screen you cannot hug your friends, you cannot ask the teacher when you don’t understand. When you are at school, you can play some volleyball with your friends, you can chat with them, so for me it is much better.”

Oleh*, 12, agrees with Mery* that school is not only about knowledge, but also about making friends and sharing moments: “I really like being here at school, because I like hanging out with my classmates. We spend a lot of time together, and it just happened that many people in my class have the same hobbies. So, sometimes after school we go for a walk together, we do some sports or play soccer together.”

Oleh* is a big fan of football, and he dreams about becoming a great footballer: “I have played soccer for 9 years, and I really love it. I can’t live without it. It is really interesting and exciting for me.”

Even though he now has a lot of friends which he met both in school and at football training, Oleh* remembers that when he first started attending school, it was not that easy.

“It was really hard for all of us to get that connected in this class, but it worked for us. At first, I was trembling and concerned, but then it all faded away, and now we are all friends. We [children from Ukraine] need to just live through this moment, it is really hard for us, but in the end, it is going to be good” – said Oleh*. 

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Save the Children Poland has been working to ensure that refugee children access uninterrupted and quality education, through both formal and non-formal education opportunities. Save the Children delivers Education in Emergencies (EiE) assistance in partnership with the five local partners, to ensure localized response and to demonstrate commitments towards Grand Bargain. Our programs are integrated with Child Protection and MHPSS interventions to support refugee safety, protection and well-being needs. Since the onset of the regional response, we have reached over 91,000 people including almost 79,000 children through education activities.
In Poland, we are supporting 4 Ukrainian schools and 15 Polish schools, as well as 50 Digital Learning Centers (DLCs). Save the Children Poland is also supporting refugee children and families to integrate in Poland through the provision of online Polish language courses.

Katia*, Lionel*, Mery* and Oleh* attended a Ukrainian School in Warsaw. The school was set up by Save the Children Poland’s local partner Fundacja Nasz Wybor (Ukrainian House) to respond to the needs of refugee children from Ukraine to access uninterrupted education services. Thanks to the cooperation with our local partner Fundacja Nasz Wybor, we have supported over 1,700 students in continuing their education.

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 Translations of the poems:

Mery*, 12 

A year at school
A year of emotions, a year of knowledge.
A year of fun days of learning.
A year that changed school life.
And found answers to questions.

It was fun, interesting,
We traveled a lot.
We went running cross,
And went kayaking.

Our lessons were not sad.
We find something to laugh about.
We do experiments.
We do physical exercises.

We want more
To study at our school.
To find new friends.
and go on trips.

Oleh*, 12

The best year
I had the best year at school!!
I had both joys and troubles!
I made a lot of friends
from different Ukrainian cities:
From Odesa, Kherson, Kyiv and Lviv...
They are all the best!!!
True, true
They are all the best.
Thank you, school,
For bringing us together!
Thank you all,
Who helped us.
Thank you to my classmates.
You are just super!!!
Teachers who taught me.
How could I forget
About our SECRETARIAT,
about our sponsors,
who are helping.
You are just superb!
You are just great!!
Thank you all, my dear public,
This is the best year
I've ever had at school
with you, my dear......