In Poland, "Ukrainian Schoolchildren Are Missing": What Is Happening.

There are fewer Ukrainian students in Polish schools than expected

According to data from the Polish Ministry of Education, about 40,000 students from Ukraine have enrolled in Polish schools for the new academic year. This is significantly less than the forecasted number, which was approximately 80,000 new Ukrainian students.

Piotr Ostrębski, a representative of the Ministry of Education, noted that these 40,000 students are distributed across all regions of Poland, and the number in each region is small. Therefore, schools are welcoming Ukrainian students without major problems.

Experts propose two theories to explain the discrepancy between forecasts and reality. One theory is that the number of children from Ukraine in Poland is smaller than previously assumed. Another theory suggests that a portion of Ukrainian children in Poland have not joined the Polish education system, despite the requirement to attend school.

Some Ukrainian parents face difficulties when trying to enroll their children in Polish schools. There are known cases where there are not enough places in schools or they offer education in classes that are two years younger than the age of Ukrainian children.

Previously, a total of 178,365 Ukrainian students were enrolled in Polish educational institutions. Among them, 147,755 attended primary and secondary schools, while 30,610 attended kindergartens and preschool preparation centers.

Starting this summer, all Ukrainian children with temporary protection are required to attend Polish schools according to changes in the law on assistance to Ukrainians. Previously, parents could choose distance learning within the Ukrainian education system, but now this is not an option.

Parents who do not comply with this requirement may lose Polish child benefits (about 8,000 hryvnias per month) and face fines of up to 50,000 zlotys or approximately 500,000 hryvnias. An exception is made only for students in the final grades who need to take the National Multisubject Test (NMT) in Ukraine.