Language issues are one of the main reasons mentioned by Ukrainian refugees for not attending education options offered by the host country, while Romania is one of the countries where language turns up to be one of the most serious barriers, according to a survey ran in ten host countries last year and published by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights in February 2023. The survey explores the opinions of Ukrainian refugees when it comes to a multitude of aspects regarding their arrival and accommodation in the host countries, from employment to housing and medical services. Education is one of the topics analysed in the document.
- The survey was produced in August-September 2022 and published last month. It notes that respondents were asked whether they attended education prior to leaving Ukraine and continued attending such activities at the time of the interview. The poll was run in Estonia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy and Spain. The agency notes that the online poll is not statistically representative, but the data was selected to be relevant for the target group.
According to the document, some 23% of the respondents, children and adults, were participating in education at the time of the poll, either online with their school in Ukraine or in person at a school in the host country. But, in total, less than half (43%) of those participating in education before leaving Ukraine were still participating at the time of the interview, with a participation rate considerably higher in the case of male respondents.
The issue was visible in all countries, but felt way stronger in Romania, where 59% of male respondents, but only 34% of female respondents were participating in education in the host country:
Respondents who stopped participating despite attending education programmes just before leaving Ukraine mostly said the main reason for doing so was their completion of studies (74% EU-10 average, 79% in Romania). The second most common answer both at EU-10 level and in Romania, was a lack of capacity to speak the language (19% EU-10 average, 13% in Romania).
- Other reasons: not being able to take care of children or relatives, not being able to afford it, lack of time etc..
On the other hand, Romania is noticeable for being the second country out of 10, after Ukraine, when it comes to countries where language is a real issue. In the case of Romania, 58% of respondents said they did not know the language at all, 30% spoke it very little and only 10% said they spoke it fairly or well.
- Meanwhile, in the case of Poland, 46% of respondents said they spoke the langue of the host country fairly or well and only 12% said they did not know it at all.
When it comes to children, more than half of those whose language was not that of the host country had attended language courses by the time of the poll – end of summer/beginning of fall 2022. But in the case of Romania only a very small number said they had attended or were planning to attend such courses:
- Only 9% were still attending
- 12% stopped attending
- 22% planned to attend
- More than half (55%) answered “No”
Full report can be accessed on the FRA website
EduCare is a project run by Fundatia Bosch Romania in partnership with Edupedu.ro to provide correct information and data related to education – data that are obtained from official sources and which have been checked. This educational information hub to support refugees will include information about the activities and initiatives of organisations and entities working with this target group. The voice of the community is also heard as the interaction with Ukrainian refugees has to be real and natural.
Information provided by EduCare will be available in three languages (Romanian, English, Ukrainian) so that it can be easily accessed by all interested parties.
Also read:
Very few of Ukrainian children go to Romanian schools: government report on refugees describes problems and challenges about students from Ukraine, but says little in terms of solutions / Romania’s actions as compared to the German model
Redacția
Rainer Ohliger and Raphaela Schweiger