Education and Displacement: Ukrainian Families in Germany

EDUCATION AND DISPLACEMENT:
UKRAINIAN FAMILIES IN GERMANY
I ina Mü zelbu g and Félix K awa zek
ZOiS REPORT
No. 1 / 2023 · Ap il 2023
ZOiS Repo 1 / 2023 Educa ion and Displacemen : Uk ainian Families in Ge many
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Con en
2 ____ Summa y
04 ___ In oduc ion
05 ___ Me hodology: Online su ey and in-dep h in e iews
07 ___ Uk ainian educa ion in Ge many
08 ______ Mo he s, amily backg ound and con inuing wi h Uk ainian educa ion
09 ______ Mo e Uk ainian emo e educa ion o olde pupils
11 ______ Less Uk ainian emo e educa ion o younge child en
12 ___ Going o school in Ge many
12 ______ Expe iences o en olling a a local school
15 ______ The di e en si ua ions o Uk ainian pupils in Ge man Schools
16 ______ Di e en educa ional sys ems and expec a ions be ween Uk aine and Ge many
19 ______ T ansna ionalism: Ac i ely pa icipa ing in wo socie ies o s uck in limbo
22 ___ Conclusion
23 ___ Imp in
Summa y
The escala ion o Russia’s wa agains Uk aine since Feb ua y 2022 has
p omp ed one o he mos signi ican displacemen s o people in pos -1945
Eu ope. O he mo e han eigh million people cu en ly s aying ou side o
Uk aine, mos a e women and one- hi d a e child en. This epo ocuses on
he ques ion o educa ion in he con ex o displacemen , looking speci ically
a he challenges and condi ions ha eme ge in he e y i s mon hs a e
a i al. The educa ional si ua ion o child en is o u mos impo ance o he
social in eg a ion o bo h pa en s and child en and, alongside he labou ma -
ke in eg a ion o pa en s, a c ucial ac o in unde s anding how Uk ainians
hink abou hei u u e.
We d aw on an o iginal online su ey conduc ed among displaced Uk ainian
pa en s in Ge many in he summe o 2022 as well as nume ous quali a i e in-
e iews wi h bo h pa en s and pupils. The indings show he ex en o which
pu suing hei educa ion in pa allel in Ge many and Uk aine is placing a dou-
ble bu den on young Uk ainians. A he same ime, he esea ch sheds ligh on
he easons o educa ional choices and how amilies na iga e his new si ua-
ion. These a e he key indings:
– In he summe o 2022 and in he ollowing mon hs, in pa icula second-
a y school-aged child en con inued wi h hei Uk ainian educa ion, e en
ZOiS Repo 1 / 2023 Educa ion and Displacemen : Uk ainian Families in Ge many
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i hey we e en olled in Ge man schools. This was acili a ed by p e ious
in es men by he Uk ainian s a e in he digi isa ion o educa ional ma e i-
als du ing he Co id-19 pandemic.
– The easons o con inuing Uk ainian educa ion equen ly ela e o a de-
si e o p ese e one’s Uk ainian iden i y and language, bu also o a ea
ha wi hou a Uk ainian educa ion, a child’s u u e p ospec s would be
jeopa dised. Fo he Uk ainian s a e, i is c ucial o keep child en in ol ed
in he na ional cu iculum in o de o inc ease he likelihood o hei pos-
sible e u n.
– The p ospec o e u n is a de e mining ac o in amilies’ educa ional choic-
es. Those who plan o lea e Ge many as soon as possible a e less mo i a ed
o send hei child en o a Ge man school. A he same ime, he daun ing
eali y o he ongoing wa has implica ions o he pe sonal well-being o
hese esponden s, and hose who desi e a quick e u n o Uk aine a e he
mos likely o epo eelings o le ha gy. Con e sely, hose who in end o
s ay in Ge many o he o eseeable u u e a e mo e deeply in ol ed in
hei local Ge man communi ies.
– The age o he child ma e s g ea ly in he educa ional choices pa en s make.
Especially o eenage s, he ansi ion in o he Ge man educa ional sys em
is mo e di icul due o language ba ie s bu also di e en expec a ions
and cul u es o educa ion. Pupils app oaching he end o hei seconda y
schooling, mo eo e , ace he challenge o ansi ioning om he school
sys em in o oca ional aining o uni e si y, which is pa icula ly di icul
wi hou p o iciency in Ge man and ecognised diplomas.
– The e is a co ela ion be ween a pa en ’s inancial and social s a us and
he ex en o which hey a e in ol ed in hei child en’s educa ion. Those
wi h a highe inancial and social s a us a e signi ican ly mo e in es ed in
hei child’s educa ion and a icula e highe expec a ions o hei child’s
educa ion in Ge many. They also end o wan hei child o be included in
egula a he han in eg a ion classes. Socio-economic inequali ies in he
coun y o o igin a e he e o e ep oduced in displacemen .
– Educa ional sys ems and no ms a e as ly di e en in Ge many and
Uk aine. Some Uk ainian amilies exp ess us a ion abou wha hey see
as he poo quali y o eaching in Ge man schools and wo y abou he
implica ions o his o an an icipa ed e u n. Ano he se o amilies, how-
e e , app ecia es he child-cen ed educa ion hey ha e encoun e ed, he
espec ul ea men o young people, and he sensi i e ways in which Ge -
man au ho i ies deal wi h child en leeing wa .
– The Ge man educa ion sys em was al eady a i s limi s p io o he a i al
o Uk ainian child en. Ne e heless, hanks o goodwill on he local le el
and a sense o p agma ism, i ually all o hem ha e been in eg a ed in o
local schools.
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In oduc ion
O he eigh million Uk ainians sca e ed ac oss Eu ope as a esul o he
escala ion o Russia’s wa agains Uk aine in 2022, abou one million peo-
ple ha e come o Ge many.1 Since men ha e gene ally no been allowed o
lea e he coun y, women accoun o abou 80 % o he adul s who ha e led
he e.2 Abou one- hi d o hose displaced om Uk aine a e child en and
een age s, wi h o e 200,000 Uk ainian child en now en olled in Ge man
p ima y and seconda y schools.3 This epo analyses hese amilies’ expec-
a ions, decisions, expe iences, and pe cep ions ega ding hei child en’s
educa ion since hei displacemen .
In ol emen in educa ion is one o he key ac o s o he social in eg a ion
o Uk ainian amilies in Ge many. Alongside he de elopmen o he wa ,
he in eg a ion o pa en s in o he labou ma ke , and he possibili y o am-
ily euni ica ion, condi ions in local schools seem c ucial o he choices
Uk ainian amilies will make ega ding a possible e u n — o no — o hei
coun y o o igin. Educa ion in displacemen is he e o e an issue o u mos
poli ical and public ele ance o Ge many and Uk aine. As p obably he
i s la ge g oup o ind i sel in his si ua ion, Uk ainian child en a e simul-
aneously exposed o wo pa allel educa ional equi emen s: bo h he s a e
o o igin and he hos s a e expec ha he espec i e na ional cu iculum
is ollowed.
In Ge many, local school a endance is compulso y o all mino s, as i is
conside ed essen ial o u u e social in eg a ion. Many decision-make s
ea seg ega ion and a lack o ca ee oppo uni ies i Uk ainian young peo-
ple do no a end Ge man schools. They wan o a oid a epe i ion o he
1960s and 1970s, when many egions did no make schooling compulso y
o o eign pupils and he child en o immig an s we e kep sepa a e om
Ge man-speaking pupils in he expec a ion ha hey would e u n o hei
coun ies o o igin.4 In con as , Ge man policymake s oday aim o in e-
g a e Uk ainian pupils.
A he same ime, Uk ainian educa ion policymake s insis ha schooling
con inues acco ding o hei na ional cu iculum. In Sep embe 2022, he
Minis e o Educa ion and Science o Uk aine, Se hij Shka le , claimed ha
abou 500,000 Uk ainian pupils we e ab oad,5 while he Ombudsman o
1 UNHCR, ‘Uk aine Re ugee Si ua ion’, 17 Feb ua y 2023, h ps://da a.unhc .o g/en/si ua ions/
uk aine.
2 Ins i u  ü A bei sma k -undBe u s o schunge al.,‘Ku zs udie:Ge lüch e eausde Uk aine
in Deu schland’, Decembe 2022, h ps://www.BAMF.de/Sha edDocs/Anlagen/DE/Fo schung/
ku zs udie-uk -ge luech e e.h ml?nn=282772.
3 Kul usminis e Kon e enz,‘Ge lüch e eKinde /JugendlicheAusDe Uk aine’,accessedon16
Ma ch 2023, h ps://www.kmk.o g/dokumen a ion-s a is ik/s a is ik/schuls a is ik/ge luech e e-
kinde jugendliche-aus-de -uk aine.h ml.
4 Una Röh -Sendlmeie , ‘De Schulun e ich Fü Mig an en in Deu schland – Maßnahmen Und
Bildungspoli ische Konzep e on 1950 bis 1990’, in Bildungs- Und E ziehungsgeschich e Im 20.
Jah hunde (F ank u :Lang,1992),297 – 321.
5 Minis y o Educa ion and Science o Uk aine, ‘O e 4 housand Uk ainian child en o school
age ha e e u ned o Uk aine o e he pas 11 days - Se hiy Shka le ’, 12 Sep embe 2022,
h ps://mon.go .ua/ua/news/ponad-4- is-uk ayinskih-di ej-shkilnogo- iku-po e nulisya- -uk ay-
inu-za-os anni-11-dni -se gij-shka le .
ZOiS Repo 1 / 2023 Educa ion and Displacemen : Uk ainian Families in Ge many
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Educa ion o Uk aine sugges ed ha he numbe s we e e en highe .6 Based
on he assump ion ha child en who emain in eg a ed in he Uk ainian
sys em a e mo e likely o e u n, he con inued in ol emen o Uk ainian
you h in he na ional educa ion sys em has aken on a majo signi icance.
Educa ion is seen as a ool o minimise he isk o losing a sizeable sha e o
he younge gene a ion.
This exposu e o wo educa ional se ings is a ea u e o he in ense ans-
na ional eali y in which many amilies cu en ly li e a e ha ing had
o lea e emaining amily membe s, homes, and jobs back in Uk aine. In
a su ey conduc ed by he Ins i u ü A bei sma k - und Be u s o schung
and o he Ge man s a e ins i u ions in au umn 2022, abou one- hi d o dis-
placed Uk ainians indica ed ha hey planned o s ay in Ge many un il he
end o he wa , mo e han a hi d wan ed o s ay in Ge many o e e o o
se e al yea s, and less han a hi d was unsu e.7
Con ac wi h he local educa ion adminis a ion and schools is one o he
i s and o en challenging encoun e s Uk ainian amilies ha e wi h he
Ge man s a e. Conduc ed in summe 2022, ou su ey cap u es hei i s
expe iences and s uggles o access educa ion in a si ua ion o ex eme
unce ain y. This c i ical momen has a bea ing on young people’s u u e
plans and oppo uni ies in he long e m, bu i also shapes pe cep ions o
he Ge man s a e. We see how he signi ican di e ences be ween he wo
educa ional sys ems and hei expec a ions become a sou ce o i i a ion.
Gi en how sensi i e he opic o educa ion is o mos pa en s and you h, he
ensions ha eme ge in his a ea can be pa icula ly acu e.
Fo he Ge man educa ion au ho i ies, he sudden a i al o 200,000 pupils
om Uk aine was a majo challenge because Ge man schools we e al eady
s e ched o hei limi s be o e 2022. The a i al o newcome s in such num-
be s was also no unp eceden ed. In 2016, 260,000 child en a i ed p ima -
ily om Sy ia.8 Tha expe ience, combined wi h he commi men o help
among eache s, headmas e s, and local o icials, s ong poli ical will, and
an accompanying c isis budge ha e made Ge man s a e ins i u ions mo e
lexible and p agma ic when i comes o en olling Uk ainian pupils in local
schools.
Me hodology: Online su ey and in-dep h
in e iews
A ZOiS online su ey ci cula ed among pa en s o Uk ainian pupils (6 – 18
yea s) who we e displaced o Ge many in 2022. I was ad e ised om ea ly
June o ea ly Augus 2022 ia Teleg am g oups o Uk ainians in Ge many
6 Ombudsman o Educa iono Uk aine,‘Willchild enwhos udyab oad e u n oUk aine?’,
7 Oc obe 2022, h ps://eo.go .ua/chy-po e nu sia- -uk ainu-di y-iaki-na chaiu sia-za-ko -
donom/2022/10/07/.
7 Ins i u ü A bei sma k - und Be u s o schung e al., ‘Ku zs udie’.
8 UNICEF,‘Ge lüch e eUndMig ie eKinde inDeu schland.EinÜbe blickÜbe DieT endsSei 
2015’, Decembe 2020, h ps://www.unice .de/_cae/ esou ce/blob/178376/a 4894387 d3ca4e-
c6259919ee dde2d/ge luech e e-und-mig ie e-kinde -in-deu schland-2015-2018-da a.pd .
Fo Uk ainian policy
make s, educa ion is
a ool o minimise he
isk o losing a sizeable
sha e o he younge
gene a ion.

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and ia a Facebook campaign. The su ey includes se e al ques ions on he
encoun e wi h he Ge man educa ional sys em, including i s adminis a-
i e aspec s, on he child en’s ecen online and o line schooling expe i-
ence, and on he educa ional, socio-economic and cul u al backg ound o
he esponden s.
A o al o 3,504 esponden s s a ed he su ey. We hen unde ook ex-
ensi e quali y checks o sys ema ically emo e indi iduals who ushed
h ough he ques ionnai e, ga e nonsensical answe s, s opped oo ea ly, o
did no answe enough ques ions o con ey meaning ul in o ma ion. This
le us wi h a o al o 2,152 esponden s, 98 % o whom we e women. Thus
he pe cen age o emale esponden s was disp opo iona ely high, e en
conside ing ha hey make up 80 % o he o al numbe o displaced adul s
om Uk aine. This sel -selec ion e lec s a ypical gende imbalance in ca e
wo k and he widesp ead pe cep ion ha child en’s educa ion is a emale
domain.
We de eloped h ee main dimensions o cha ac e ise ou esponden s’
backg ounds wi h espec o hei inancial, socio-cul u al, and in e na ion-
al posi ion. In he inancial dimension we included a iables ela ed o he
esponden s’ and hei pa ne s’ employmen (le el o senio i y, income),
whe he hey could a o d a p i a e school in Uk aine, o he equency
wi h which hey paid o p i a e ui ion in addi ion o schooling.9 In socio-
cul u al backg ound we included in o ma ion on he le el o educa ion o
he child en’s pa en s and g andpa en s, he educa ional si ua ion o he
child back in Uk aine, and whe he he child played a musical ins umen .
Those who indica ed ha hey wen o hea es and museums in Ge many
also ecei ed addi ional poin s. In in e na ional backg ound, we gauged he
in e na ional o ien a ion o he esponden ’s amily, combining in o ma-
ion ela ed o he pa en s’ knowledge o o eign languages, hei in e na-
ional a el in p e-pandemic imes, whe he hey had plans o emig a e be-
o e Feb ua y 2022, whe he hei child wen o an in e na ional school o
a ended a o eign-language- ocused class in Uk aine, and whe he se e al
languages we e spoken a home.
These h ee dimensions exp ess ou esponden s’ posi ion ela i e o he
sample a he han compa ed o he Uk ainian popula ion o e all. Geo-
g aphically, su ey pa icipan s a e sp ead ac oss Ge many, wi h highe
numbe s in he mo e popula ed egions o No h Rhine-Wes phalia, Ba a -
ia, and Baden-Wü embe g.
The quali a i e analysis d aws on wo ypes o sou ces. Fi s , esponden s
o he su ey could explain hei choices h oughou he ques ionnai e in
a ange o ee ex ields, an op ion ha se e al hund ed used. Second, be-
ween May and No embe 2022, we conduc ed semi-s uc u ed in e iews
and mo e in o mal con e sa ions wi h 16 eenage s (12 – 18) as well as 53
mo he s and 4 a he s. To e lec he di e si y o social and educa ional p o-
iles, he in e iewees we e ec ui ed ia di e se channels, including ou
pe sonal Ge man and Uk ainian ne wo ks, messages pos ed in Teleg am
9 Some o he a iables such as he esponden ’s income and hei p o ession con ey mo e in o -
ma ionabou a esponden ’s inancialmeansandwe he e o ega eg ea e weigh  o hese
a iables.
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and Facebook g oups, a ques ion o his e ec in he su ey, o ganisa ions
suppo ing displaced Uk ainians in Ge many, in-pe son ga he ings o dis-
placed Uk ainians, and he mul i- es exam held in Be lin.10 Consequen ly,
in e iews ook place in di e se se ings, online and in-pe son. The lan-
guage o communica ion was usually Uk ainian o Russian, and in a ew
cases English when in e iewees el e y con iden speaking i . To gain
a be e unde s anding o he con ex , we also conduc ed in e iews wi h
membe s o he Ge man school adminis a ion and eache s.
Uk ainian educa ion in Ge many
Uk aine’s educa ion policies a e gea ed o keeping Uk ainian you h ab oad
in ol ed in he na ional educa ion sys em. The Uk ainian s a e has o e ed
amilies di e en models o ob aining hei school epo s while li ing
ab oad, including synch onous s udy ia ideo calls and asynch onous
home schooling, whe e pupils s udy au onomously and submi homewo k
and es s. Families, eache s, and na ional s uc u es adap ed o online edu-
ca ion du ing he Co id-19 pandemic. Ye , in wa ime, synch onous s udy
wi h he usual eache equi es he class in he Uk ainian home own o
unc ion emo ely. Whe he eaching akes place online o o line has o en
changed since Feb ua y 2022 and depends on he egion, he school, and he
eache . To allow o au onomous s udy in he 18 co e school subjec s, he
Uk ainian s a e o e s he esou ces o he All-Uk ainian Time able (Vseu-
k ayinskyy ozklad — g ades 1 o 11) and he All-Uk ainian online school
(Vseuk ayinska shkola onlayn — g ades 5 o 11), cen alised s a e pla o ms
con aining ideos, ex s, exe cises, and es s.
O hose esponden s whose child en con inued ollowing he Uk ainian
cu iculum in summe 2022, 11 % indica ed ha hei child did so wi h a
Uk ainian eache in a physical class oom in Ge many. A ound 80 % in-
dica ed ha hei child ollowed he cu iculum always o o en online.
Meanwhile, 90 % always o o en pu sued online schooling wi h hei o -
me home school; and nea ly 50 % used a leas one o he cen alised online
educa ion esou ces.
When asked whe he hei child s udied acco ding o he Uk ainian cu -
iculum in May 2022, a ound hal o he su ey esponden s men ioned ha
hei child had con inued wi h hei Uk ainian educa ion in addi ion o Ge -
man schooling, while a ound one in i e indica ed ha hei child was ex-
clusi ely engaged in Uk ainian schooling. Bo h o hese sha es dec eased
o e ime: by au umn 2022, child en in less han a qua e o he amilies
we e ollowing he Uk ainian cu iculum online, wi h only 3 % ocusing ex-
clusi ely on Uk ainian schooling.11 In ou su ey, sligh ly less han a hi d
o he esponden s explained ha he eason why hei child en we e pu -
suing hei Uk ainian educa ion alongside a endance a a Ge man school
10 Many hanks o Anna Gu yano a and Sophie Shields o hei excellen esea ch assis ance.
11 Ins i u ü A bei sma k - und Be u s o schung e al., ‘Ku zs udie’. Howe e , an EU su ey
conduc ed among displaced Uk ainians in 10 EU coun ies in Sep embe 2022 ound ha wo-
hi ds o child en s udied emo ely acco ding o he Uk ainian cu iculum. Eu opean Union
Agency o Fundamen alRigh s,‘FleeingUk aine:DisplacedPeople’sExpe iencesin heEU’,28
Feb ua y 2023, 37, h p:// a.eu opa.eu/en/publica ion/2023/uk aine-su ey.
A ound hal o he
esponden s said ha
in May 2022 hei
child had con inued
wi h hei Uk ainian
educa ion in addi ion o
Ge man schooling.
ZOiS Repo 1 / 2023 Educa ion and Displacemen : Uk ainian Families in Ge many
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was ha hey hoped o e u n soon and wan ed o a oid a di icul eadjus -
men o he Uk ainian school. The dec ease in he sha e o hose engaged in
Uk ainian schooling be ween summe and au umn 2022 may be he esul
o dwindling hopes o e u n o an excessi e wo kload. Mo eo e , some o
he amilies who we e keen on e u ning soon did so du ing he summe .
Since he au umn and he Russian des uc ion o Uk ainian in as uc u e,
online schooling has also been hampe ed by in e up ions o he in e ne
and he elec ici y supply ( FIGURE 1).
Nea ly one- hi d o pa en s indica ed ha pa io ism was a ac o in he de-
cision o con inue wi h Uk ainian schooling; hey saw a need o p ese e he
child’s Uk ainian iden i y and show ai h in he u u e o Uk aine. Fo abou
25 % o pa en s, he ac ha schooling in he Uk ainian o Russian language
was easie o he child was a decisi e ac o .
Mo he s, amily backg ound and con inuing wi h Uk ainian
educa ion
Responden s wi h a ela i ely high social and inancial s a us12 in ou
sample we e mo e likely o indica e ha hei child was con inuing hei
Uk ainian schooling in addi ion o a ending a Ge man school. Families
need o alue he con inui y o Uk ainian educa ion o pu hei child unde
his double bu den. A ound one- hi d o esponden s s a ed ha hei edu-
ca ional choice was s ongly in luenced by hei belie ha he Uk ainian
12 People omUk ainewho ledab oad end oha eahighe le elo educa ionandahighe 
socio-economics a us han hea e agepopula ioninUk aine.Anas asiyaRiabchuk,‘Who
WillS ayandWhoWillRe u n?Di e gen T ajec o ieso Uk ainianWa Re ugeesin heEU’
(Commons,16Janua y2023),h ps://commons.com.ua/en/h o-zalishi sya-i-h o-po e ne sya-
ayek o iyi-uk ayinskih-bizhenci - -yes/ Ins i u ü A bei sma k - und Be u s o schung e al.,
‘Ku zs udie’.
22%
48%
13%
15%
Yes, exclusi ely
Yes, in addi ion o Ge man schooling
No, my child con inued s udying acco ding o
he Uk ainian cu iculum a e we le Uk aine
bu s opped a e some ime
No, my child s opped s udying acco ding
o he Uk ainian cu iculum a he
beginning o he wa
FIGURE 1
In he second hal o May 2022 did you child s udy acco ding o he
Uk ainian cu iculum?
Sou ce: ZOiS Su ey 2022
ZOiS Repo 1 / 2023 Educa ion and Displacemen : Uk ainian Families in Ge many
9
educa ion sys em is be e han he Ge man one. Ha ing su icien inancial
means also makes i easie o con inue wi h Uk ainian educa ion, o in-
s ance ia addi ional p i a e u o s. Mo eo e , pa en s wi h a highe social
and educa ional s a us we e mo e likely o indica e ha hey assis ed hei
child in ollowing he Uk ainian cu iculum.
In displacemen , he demands on mo he s ha e isen subs an ially. Many
ha e go en in ol ed in he educa ion o hei child en o compensa e o
he pe cei ed weaknesses o he new educa ional se ing and suppo hei
child’s online o sel -s udy acco ding o he Uk ainian cu iculum, Ge man
language lea ning, and ca ching up wi h he Ge man school p og amme.
Mo eo e , he as majo i y o mo he s in ou su ey we e al eady he p i-
ma y ca e ake s be o e lea ing Uk aine, bu in Ge many hey ha e usually
los he e e yday suppo o a he s o g andpa en s. In addi ion o he need
o secu e accommoda ion and deal wi h pape wo k, his pu s he mo he s
unde ex eme p essu e.
‘Online schooling is eally ha d. I akes a lo o my ime. Mums ha e o
be eache s. Bu I ha e o do lo s o adminis a i e hings.
(In e iew,June2022,mo he o an11-anda7-yea -old,
om heZapo izhzhya egion,nowinBe lin).
‘E e y e ening I ha e o decide whe he o s udy Ge man o Uk ainian
wi h him. I y o do bo h wi h him.
(In e iew,May2022,mo he o an8-anda12-yea -old,
o me EnglishandGe man eache  omZapo izhzhya,
nowinBe lin).
Mo e Uk ainian emo e educa ion o olde pupils
Those pa en s who men ioned ha hei child exclusi ely pu sued hei
Uk ainian schooling in May 2022 end o ha e child en in he la e yea s
o seconda y school when pupils app oach he c i ical Uk ainian school ex-
ams. Olde child en a e mo e likely o con inue hei schooling by hem-
sel es. They also spend much mo e ime pe week on he Uk ainian educa-
ion sys em han younge pupils — o en mo e han 20 hou s pe week.
These pupils o en s udy emo ely ea ly in he mo ning be o e Ge man school
s a s o la e in he a e noon and e ening. This co esponds o a inding
om Augus 2022 by he Ombudsman o Educa ion o Uk aine: ‘27 % (2,140
ou o 7,921) o esponden s indica ed ha a child ecei ed a double load due
o s udying a a Uk ainian and o eign educa ional ins i u ion.’13
Yana,14 16 yea s old, mo ed om he Kyi egion o a small own in
Baden-Wü embe g wi h he mo he , who wo ks o a la ge Ge man
company and was eloca ed o Ge many in Ma ch 2022. A i s , she
13 Ombudsman o Educa iono Uk aine,‘Howdo o eignschoolsdi e  omUk ainianones?
Resul s o a su ey among pa en s whose child en a e ab oad’, 23 Augus 2022, h ps://eo.go .
ua/chym-zako donni-shkoly- id izniaiu sia- id-uk ainskykh- ezul a y-opy u annia-ba ki -chyi-
di y-znakhodia sia-za-ko donom/2022/08/23/.
14 All he names ha e been changed o p ese e anonymi y.
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To simpli y, he younges , who a end he i s g ades o p ima y school, a e
usually included di ec ly in egula classes o mos o he ime. In some
places, hey lea e he class occasionally o join special g oups o addi ional
Ge man lessons.
Schooling o pupils a seconda y school (depending on he egion, om age
10 o 12 upwa ds) hinges p ima ily on hei knowledge o Ge man. Pupils
wi h a le el o A2 / B1 o abo e end o join egula classes in Ge man. Fo
hose wi h li le o no p io Ge man language skills, he si ua ion a ies con-
side ably. Many o hem a end egula classes, while a hi d o all Uk ain-
ian pupils a end special in eg a ion classes o non-Ge man- speaking
pupils, whe e he ocus is on lea ning Ge man, wi h limi ed a en ion paid
o o he subjec s.18 Uk ainian pupils a e mo e likely o be in special in eg a-
ion classes in he sou h-wes e n egions o Ge many and in Saxony. Fam-
ily backg ound also ma e s: pupils om weal hie amilies a e mo e likely
o join egula classes. Indeed, many Uk ainian pa en s ha e become con-
inced, o en in luenced by discussions on Uk ainian social media, ha a -
ending egula classes would be be e o hei child en’s educa ion.
In eg a ion classes can ei he be composed solely o Uk ainian pupils o
can include a mix o na ionali ies. Acco ding o ou su ey, simila sha es
o Uk ainian pupils a end bo h ypes o in eg a ion class, bu exclusi ely
Uk ainian g oups a e mo e common in Eas e n Ge many, especially in
Saxony. In in e iews, mo he s and child en oice di e ging opinions on
his se -up. While some app ecia e he eassu ing company o classma es
om Uk aine who speak hei language, o he s would p e e o mee mo e
Ge man-speaking pupils.
Usually, he eache o an in eg a ion class speaks nei he Russian no
Uk ainian, bu in abou 19 % o cases, pa icula ly in Eas e n Ge many,
eache s communica e wi h Uk ainian pupils o en o always in Uk ainian
o Russian.19 One explana ion o his is he mo e widesp ead Russian lan-
guage skills among eache s om he o me GDR. Ano he eason lies in he
policies o ce ain eas e n egions like Saxony o hi e Uk ainian eache s
and o e special educa ion in Uk ainian (o Russian) o Uk ainian pupils,
a leas in he i s ew mon hs a e hei a i al in Ge many. While some
o he in e iewed mo he s and child en hink i is an ad an age when a
eache has some Uk ainian o Russian, o he s a e uneasy abou o e en
ou aged by he use o he Russian language o he p esence o eache s o
Russian o igin.
In all o he egions, eache s o in eg a ion classes usually speak Ge man. In
he no h-wes , i is mo e likely ha eache s will also use English. Families
wi h a highe social s a us a e mo e likely o indica e in he su ey ha he
eache o hei child’s in eg a ion class uses Ge man o English.
Di e en educa ional sys ems and expec a ions be ween Uk aine
and Ge many
18 Ins i u ü A bei sma k - und Be u s o schung e al., ‘Ku zs udie’.
19 Thesu eyin10EUcoun iescame oasimila conclusion:‘Mos child en(71 %)whogo o
school in hei hos coun y we e no augh any subjec in school in he language hey mainly
spoke a home.’ Eu opean Union Agency o Fundamen al Righ s, ‘Fleeing Uk aine’, 37.
In abou 19 % o cases,
pa icula ly in Eas e n
Ge many, eache s
communica e wi h
Uk ainian pupils o en
o always in Uk ainian
o Russian.

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In in e iews, Uk ainian pa en s exp ess hei wo ies ha hei child is
no lea ning enough — o bo h he Uk ainian and he Ge man school sys-
em. In ac , only 16 % o he esponden s o ou su ey s a e ha hei school
choice was based on hei opinion ha educa ion in Ge many is be e han
in Uk aine. Schooling in Uk aine ocuses on he acquisi ion o la ge amoun s
o knowledge and elies mo e on hie a chy, p essu e and didac ics han on
in e ac i e eaching me hods.
This is why pa en s wo y ha Ge man schooling is oo elaxed (ci ing, o
example, he lack o homewo k) and ha he Ge man cu iculum is no in-
ensi e enough (when compa ing he school p og ammes o ma hs, many
pa en s ound ha wha hei child was lea ning in he Ge man school had
been co e ed by he Uk ainian school one o wo yea s ea lie ). In addi ion
o he gene al di e ences be ween he Ge man and Uk ainian educa ion
sys ems, he gap is u he widened by he ac ha Uk ainian pupils ha e
o en joined in eg a ion classes. In many in eg a ion classes, pupils ha e
only e y ew subjec s: some imes only Ge man language and spo s, some-
imes a ew mo e like ma hs, English, music, and a . This makes Uk ain-
ian mo he s ne ous abou he gene al s anda d o educa ion. Teache s o
in eg a ion classes also explain ha he hy hm o eaching is slowe in in-
eg a ion classes o ease pupils in o he Ge man educa ion sys em, includ-
ing hose wi h mo e limi ed p io schooling and hose auma ised by wa
o displacemen . On he o he hand, some Uk ainian child en who joined
egula classes di ec ly wi hou any p io knowledge o Ge man complain
abou si ing in class wi hou unde s anding any hing.
And iy, 17 yea s old, is li ing wi h his mo he and his b o he in a own
in B andenbu g and was en olled di ec ly in a egula 11 h-g ade class
a a Gymnasium despi e he ac ha he had no p io knowledge o Ge -
man. In he ou mon hs since he joined he school, he has been si ing
in class ying o lis en, bu unde s anding e y li le in mos subjec s
excep o ma hs, physics, and spo s. He says ha he eache s a his
Ge man school a e iendlie han hose in Uk aine, bu he ela ion-
ships wi h his classma es in Uk aine we e wa me . Wi hou any Ge -
man language ui ion a school, he lea ns Ge man au onomously ia
applica ions on his phone. In case he decides o go back o Uk aine, he
has been keeping up o some ex en wi h his Uk ainian educa ion, bu
only spends a ound 20 % o his s udy ime on i .
(In e iew,Sep embe 2022)
In hei answe s o he open ques ion on wha hey app ecia ed abou hei
child’s Ge man school, esponden s e y equen ly ema ked ha eache s
beha ed in a iendly and espec ul way owa ds child en and exe ed li -
le p essu e on hem, wi h he esul ha hei child en el mo e elaxed in
Ge man schools han in Uk ainian ones and enjoyed a ending hem.
‘The o ganisa ion o he educa ional p ocess, whe e a child does no pe -
cei e lea ning as an unin e es ing du y, bu lea ns new hings h ough
play. lack o s ess caused by e alua ion o ac ions and esul s. eache s’
iendliness and unde s anding.
(Su ey esponden ,mo he o a9-yea -oldgi l omPol a a,
doc o anddi ec o o ahospi al,nowinSaa land).
Pa en s wo y ha
Ge man schooling is
oo elaxed and ha
he cu iculum is no
in ensi e enough.
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‘I like ha my child has become chee ul and sociable, has a lo o physi-
cal ac i i y and communica ion wi h pee s. He lea ns by playing. My
son likes he ac ha he e is much less homewo k, ha he is cons an ly
conduc ing a ious expe imen s. The ac ha he is allowed o play ou -
side e en when he wea he is bad o di y. The e is a language ba ie ,
bu i s imula es he b ain o wo k, no o ocus on he cu en si ua ion
in Uk aine.
(Su ey esponden ,doc o ,mo he o an8-anda2-yea -old,
om he egionVolyn,nowinLowe Saxony).
These iews co espond o a inding o he su ey conduc ed by he Om-
budsman o Educa ion o Uk aine among pa en s ab oad: in hei hos
coun ies, displaced amilies ha e disco e ed a humane ype o school ha
is espec ul owa ds hei child en.20
In ou su ey, pa en s men ioned ha Ge man eache s gi e li le o no
homewo k and no ma ks o hei child en. School days a e sho e and hei
child en ha e mo e sel -o ganised ime ou side o school. Pa en s we e am-
bi alen abou hese aspec s o schooling. They o en ema ked ha hei
child en app ecia ed he low equi emen s and he absence o p essu e, bu
ha hey wo ied as pa en s.
‘He likes ha he doesn‘ ha e o do any hing... hey sing songs, play oo -
ball, d aw... Bu as he mo he , I don’ like i e y much. My son is s udy-
ing in a Mon esso i class. The e was no choice...
(Su ey esponden ,mo he o an8-anda5-yea -old,
omRi ne,nowinBaden-Wü embe g).
Pa en s also acknowledged ha child en a Ge man schools enjoyed mo e
eedom, o ins ance o choose subjec s o ac i i ies hey a e in e es ed in
and ha schools a e gea ed o os e ing he pupils’ independence. They also
alued he a en ion gi en o physical heal h, he obliga ion o spend b eaks
ou side in he schoolya d, and he egula excu sions.
Da ia, he mo he o a 13-yea -old, wo ked in he middle managemen
o a e ail business in Kha ki , he husband in he cons uc ion sec o .
They we e in e nally displaced in Uk aine and pa o a na ional mi-
no i y. They do no speak English o Ge man and did no a el ab oad
in he pas . Thei son does no pu sue Uk ainian online educa ion as
hei home school does no o e any. All h ee led o a medium-sized
own in Lowe Saxony. She ound he son’s en olmen in school easy
as hey we e o e ed a place quickly. While she no es ha child en
in Uk ainian schools wo k ha de and lea n mo e han in Ge man
schools, she is eupho ic abou he son’s new local school:
“Lessonsa eheldin heschoolya d,no cons an lyindoo s,child enin
ma hsol ep oblemswi h isualgeome icshapes ha  heyha emade
hemsel es,inchemis y heydo a iousexpe imen s.[…]Child endo
no si a schoolalmos allday.A 13.30–14.00myse en hg ade isa 
home. […] Language lessons a e augh  exclusi ely in he language o 
20 Ombudsman o Educa iono Uk aine,‘Willchild enwhos udyab oad e u n oUk aine?’
Pa en s acknowledged
ha child en a Ge man
schools enjoyed mo e
eedom.
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ins uc ion!!! This is ex ao dina y, i.e. Ge man in Ge man, F ench in
F ench.Thisway s uden sbegin ounde s andi  as e .[…]The ea e
manyspo sclubsa school;in hea e noonalmos allchild ena een-
gagedinspo s!!!”
(su ey)
Pa en s also men ioned ha child en enjoyed he social in e ac ions wi h
o he child en and app ecia ed he iendliness o eache s and ellow pu-
pils and hei willingness o help. Indeed, when asked abou he easons
o hei chosen educa ional se -up, wo- hi ds o esponden s unde lined
he need o child en o ha e social con ac s and pu sue physical ac i i-
ies, especially hose wi h younge child en. A ew esponden s we e also
imp essed by he ole ance and he absence o acism and homophobia in
schools.
T ansna ionalism: Ac i ely pa icipa ing in wo socie ies o s uck in
limbo
Uk ainian amilies in Ge many ind hemsel es in an e e yday ansna-
ional eali y like no o he g oup be o e hem. Teache s and school admin-
is a o s obse e ha child en displaced om Uk aine di e signi ican ly
om o he non-Ge man-speaking pupils in e ms o he unce ain y o hei
s ay in Ge many and he ex en o which hey a e o n be ween he coun-
ies. Unlike mos o he non-Ge man-speaking pupils, Uk ainians hope o
e u n o hei coun y o o igin soon, a el he e despi e he isks, and
a e exposed o a coun y o o igin ha is main aining educa ional se ic-
es and equi emen s. While some Uk ainians d aw suppo and a sense o
con inui y om hei ies o Uk aine and Uk ainians, o he s eel o n and
s uggle o ‘a i e’ a he place hey physically inhabi . As illus a ed by An-
na’s accoun s abo e, his unce ain y and he eeling o being o n be ween
Uk aine and Ge many makes i di icul o hem decide on wha o p io i-
ise in hei educa ional endea ou s.
The ex en o which amilies p ojec hemsel es in o a u u e in he socie y
o o igin o he new hos socie y ela es closely o a se o beha iou s and
a i udes in Ge many. O e all, he esponden s’ inancial and social s a us,
as well as hei in e na ional expe ience, is o li le consequence o hese
e u n pe spec i es.
A i s g oup o esponden s who s a ed ha hey do no wan o e u n o
Uk aine a all (less han 5 %) we e much mo e likely o play an ac i e ole in
hei in eg a ion in o Ge man socie y — in pa icula by lea ning Ge man.
These indi iduals we e also less likely o exp ess eelings o le ha gy and
diso ien a ion.21
21 Thea o emen ionedsu eycon i med his inding:Li esa is ac ionamongadul s omUk aine
is highe he be e hei knowledge o Ge man language, he mo e ime hey spend wi h
Ge mans, and he mo e hey el welcome upon hei a i al. Displaced people who wan o
s ay o e e inGe manya emo esa is ied han heo he s.Ins i u  ü A bei sma k -und
Be u s o schung e al., ‘Ku zs udie’.
Unlike mos o he
non-Ge man-speaking
pupils, Uk ainians
hope o e u n o hei
coun y o o igin soon.
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A second g oup comp ised hose who indica ed an in en ion o e u n in
he mo e dis an u u e, wi h plans o s ay in Ge many o se e al mon hs
(a ound 25 %) o a ew yea s o decades (a ound 40 %). Like he i s g oup,
hey we e mo e likely o be in ol ed in hei local Ge man communi y,
lea ning Ge man, dealing wi h adminis a i e ma e s, and in e ac ing
wi h locals. A he same ime, hey we e mo e likely o main ain hei in-
ol emen in Uk ainian socie y, in pa icula by ollowing news epo ing
abou he wa .
A hi d g oup made up o hose wi h a desi e o e u n o Uk aine as soon
as possible o wi hin he nex weeks (less han 5 %) mo e equen ly main-
ained hei job in Uk aine and s ayed in ouch wi h hei con ac s in Uk aine
mo e egula ly. Responden s who we e keen o lea e Ge many quickly we e
also signi ican ly less in ol ed in ac i i ies in Ge many, lea ning less Ge -
man, dealing less wi h adminis a i e ma e s, and wo king less in local
jobs. They we e mo e likely o s a e ha hey had no ye en olled hei chil-
d en in local schools. The same esponden s we e also mo e likely o eel
diso ien ed and le ha gic. In o he wo ds, hose who su e ed he mos om
he p olonged wa and o ced exile had he s onges desi e o e u n and
pa icipa ed leas in ac i i ies in hei locali ies. Teache s a Ge man schools
epo ed in in e iews ha pupils om Uk aine who old hem hey would
be e u ning soon we e o en less mo i a ed o s udy in class, o lea n Ge -
man, and o socialise wi h hei Ge man-speaking pee s. Teache s also ex-
p essed hei conce n ha some o hei pupils om Uk aine seemed o li e
in an online bubble and we e in hei own minds in Uk aine.
I is impo an o add ha one- hi d o esponden s men ioned hey did no
know i and when hey would like o e u n, e lec ing he diso ien a ion
el by many o hose displaced by he wa . Howe e , hese esponden s we e
s ill mo e likely o ge in ol ed in Ge man socie y by lea ning Ge man, deal-
ing wi h adminis a i e ma e s, and ge ing hei child en en olled in Ge -
man schools.
Ma iya led in ea ly Ma ch wi h he h ee child en (8, 14, and 20)
om Mykolayi in sou he n Uk aine o Be lin. She was di o ced, had
expe ienced pe sis en inancial di icul ies in Uk aine, and had con-
side ed emig a ing o Ge many in he las ew yea s. Back in Uk aine
she lea ned Ge man he sel and go he younges son en olled in a
school whe e he lea ned some Ge man. Ye , she is now unce ain abou
whe he o s ay, o e u n o Uk aine o o mo e on o he US o Canada.
While she g a e ully acknowledges he suppo p o ided by many Ge -
mans, she is ‘bu nedou ’ om li ing in Ge many and ha ing o cope
wi h Ge man bu eauc acy. P o essionally, ‘I’mlos ,e enmo e hanmy
child en.’ To imp o e he si ua ion, she would need o ge he diploma
as a physio he apis ecognised by he Ge man au ho i ies and was o -
e ed a job below he quali ica ions in he mean ime. Now wo king as
a masseuse, she is us a ed wi h a si ua ion she inds ‘psychologically,
physically,andemo ionallydi icul ’.
She ha shly c i icises he Uk ainian educa ion sys em — ‘ heys illha e
o ali a ianp inciples’ — and Uk ainian pa en s’ a i udes owa ds ed-
uca ion as oo ocused on c amming knowledge in o hei child en’s
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b ains. She app ecia es he mo e libe al Ge man educa ion me hods.
Ne e heless, o ganising schooling o he child en has no been easy.
He 8-yea -old son ied a ending online classes in Uk aine bu ound
he sound o ai aids du ing he ideo calls so dis u bing ha he
s opped. He was assigned o a local p ima y school ha was in amous
o high le els o d ug abuse and iolence, and his mo he decided no
o send him he e. Sho ly be o e ou in e iew, he had s a ed a end-
ing an in eg a ion class in a mo e a e age p ima y school.
He middle daugh e s uggled wi h emo e schooling and su e ed
om dep ession.22 ‘Shedidn’ doany hing o awhile,and hen heon-
lineschoolinUk aines a ed[…]shealmos didn’ go o hoselessons.
[…]Shewasjus lying he e,ea ingsome hing,wa chingTV,no wan ing
odo any hing.’ Thanks o one o he mo he ’s new Ge man iends,
he daugh e go en olled in g ade 8 o a p i a e Ge man school (paid
o by he Ge man s a e), whe e she s udies acco ding o he Uk ain-
ian cu iculum. ‘Mydaugh e , o example,wasno  e yeage  olea n,
bu sheac uallylikedi he e o  womon hs,andIwashappy ha she
wen  o hisschoolbecause he eache ssomehowencou aged hem o
lea n,and heyaccep edi well.And hemos impo an  hing o mea 
ha  imewas ha I ookhe  o ha school,I ookhe  he eso ha she
could indsomeone ocommunica ewi h,becauseshehadnoonehe e
[…]and he eshe oundnew iends,whoa ealsodisplacedUk ainians,
andpsychologically,shehas eachedalmos  hesamele elasbe o e he
wa ,and hiswasex emelyimpo an  o mea  his ime,no somuch
ha shewouldno misssome hinginma h,bu  ha  hechildwould eel
psychologicallycom o able.Thisiswha  heschoolga eus.’
He oldes daugh e is s udying emo ely a a Uk ainian uni e si y and
li es only online, ‘Sheis e yac i e,in e mso beingonlineall he ime’,
bu she has ‘almos noin-pe soncommunica ionhe e’.‘Shedoesn’ wan 
osocialisehe e,shedoesn’ wan  ogoou ,shedoesn’ wan  odoany-
hing.’ He iends a e in Uk aine and she only wan s o e u n, bu he
mo he e uses o le he as she conside s i oo dange ous.
(In e iew,May2022)
T ansna ional connec ions also ma e when people ake decisions abou
he educa ional se ing. The child’s a he was he pe son esponden s o he
su ey mos equen ly consul ed ega ding hei educa ional choices — in
nea ly 40 % o all cases. A ound 10 % o esponden s indica ed ha hey had
discussed hei decision wi h he child’s o me eache in Uk aine. Gi en
he need o apidly adap o hei new educa ional se ing, he Uk ainians’
Ge man hos amilies e y o en se ed as impo an poin s o con ac . Mo e
han 20 % o esponden s indica ed ha hey consul ed wi h hem, e lec ing
he impo an ole played by such hos s in ansla ing o icial le e s, p o id-
ing guidance on local schools, suppo ing hei gues s, and in e p e ing o
hem in hei in e ac ions wi h he school adminis a ion.
22 Thesu eyconduc edbyGe mans a eins i u ions ound ha  hepsychologicalwell-being
o displaced child en om Uk aine was lowe han ha o o he child en li ing in Ge many.
Ins i u ü A bei sma k - und Be u s o schung e al., ‘Ku zs udie’.

ZOiS Repo 1 / 2023 Educa ion and Displacemen : Uk ainian Families in Ge many
22
Conclusion
Uk ainian child en a e a guably he g oup ha has su e ed he mos as a
esul o he escala ion o wa in hei coun y. Those who ind hemsel es
in Ge many, usually wi h hei mo he s and some imes o he ela i es, a e
equi ed o in eg a e in o he Ge man educa ion sys em while he Uk ainian
s a e con inues o seek hei in ol emen in educa ion back home. Fo he
Uk ainian s a e, he in eg a ion o child en in na ional schooling is a i al con-
ce n, as he younge gene a ion’s educa ional choices a e inex icably linked
o he coun y’s u u e p ospec s. The e u n o a g oup o young people who
a e in ima ely acquain ed wi h eali ies in Uk aine and Ge many could be a
po en ial asse o Uk aine’s u u e and he coun y’s links o EU coun ies.
Fo he momen , howe e , he po en ial loss o child en and i s demog aph-
ic and ela ed consequences a e a majo conce n o he Uk ainian s a e.
While Uk ainian policymake s ini ially ied o nego ia e an exemp ion
om compulso y schooling o displaced Uk ainian child en in a ious Eu-
opean hos s a es, hese e o s ha e dec eased o e ime. Wi h he no able
excep ion o Poland, mos hos s a es’ educa ion sys ems en o ce compulso y
schooling o Uk ainian pupils s aying o longe . Re e ing o his communi-
ca ions wi h his coun e pa s in hos s a es, he Uk ainian minis e o edu-
ca ion ecognised he igh o hese s a es o au onomously de ine hei edu-
ca ion policies on hei e i o y and ins ead encou aged Uk ainian amilies
o e u n.23
Fo he child en and hei amilies, he decision on schooling is closely
linked o he empo al ho izon hey ope a e wi h in Ge many. Fo hose
who expec a quick e u n o Uk aine, i does no make sense o dis up he
child’s lea ning; ins ead, hey seek con inui y in he Uk ainian educa ion
sys em. Con e sely, hose who expec o s ay in Ge many o long a e mo e
likely o wan hei child o in eg a e in o he Ge man school sys em. The
ime ho izon is i sel , howe e , closely ela ed o he e ol ing si ua ion on
he ba le ield and he ques ion o whe he a e u n o he home egion in
Uk aine seems sa e.
Wha eme ged clea ly om he s udy is he ex en o which social di e enc-
es in he coun y o o igin a e ep oduced in displacemen . To some deg ee,
people lee wi h hei inancial, social, and in e na ional capi al — o lack
he eo . This shapes he amilies’ educa ional decisions. School choices in
he hos coun y equi e knowledge o he hos coun y’s ules and he way
hey a e applied. Fo eign language skills and he capaci y o mobilise a wid-
e ne wo k o knowledgeable acquain ances a e also help ul in ha ega d.
Families wi h mo e limi ed inancial, social, and in e na ional capi al he e-
o e end o go wi h he low, whe eas mo e p i ileged amilies na iga e ac-
i ely and igh o wha hey pe cei e as he bes educa ional se -up o hei
child en. The pa en s’ p e-exis ing inancial and educa ional esou ces also
shape hei willingness and capaci y o con inue hei child en’s Uk ainian
educa ion ab oad.
23 Minis yo Educa ionandScienceo Uk aine,‘Minis e o Educa ionandScience:»The ea e
cu en ly no es ic ions on he ecogni ion o he esul s o a child’s s udies ab oad«’, 27
Oc obe 2022, h ps://mon.go .ua/ua/news/minis -os i i-i-nauki-zhodnih-obmezhen-shodo-
iznannya- ezul a i -na channya-di ini-za-ko donom-na-sogodni-ne-isnuye.
Fo he Uk ainian s a e,
keeping he child en
in eg a ed in na ional
schooling is a i al
conce n.
ZOiS Repo 1 / 2023 Educa ion and Displacemen : Uk ainian Families in Ge many
23
O e ime and especially in summe 2022, some o he amilies who had
ocused on Uk ainian emo e educa ion wi h a iew o e u ning soon pu
his plan in o ac ion. Ou su ey was conduc ed in summe 2022, be o e he
massi e Russian a acks on in as uc u e which ha e had a d as ic impac
on li ing condi ions in Uk aine, and made synch onous online educa ion
mo e di icul . This is likely o ha e a ec ed bo h conside a ions o e u n
and emo e educa ion among hose cu en ly li ing in Ge many. Fu he -
mo e, since summe 2022, Ge man s a e ins i u ions ha e pu mo e p essu e
on Uk ainian amilies o en ol hei child en in local schools. Main aining
Uk ainian educa ion has inc easingly become an addi ional bu den. We can
he e o e expec he sha e o pupils who ac i ely pu sue Uk ainian emo e
educa ion o g adually dec ease.
A he ime o his esea ch, amilies’ li es we e ansna ional. Howe e ,
ansna ional ies a e bound o change o e ime, and he social and educa-
ional in eg a ion o child en will p o e a key ac o in he decisions abou
s aying o e u ning. Re u ning o Uk aine will also lead o new ensions
upon e u n, as child en ha e expe ienced undamen ally di e en ap-
p oaches o eaching, which hey will b ing back wi h hem.
People lee wi h hei
inancial, social, and
in e na ional capi al —
o lack he eo .
Imp in
Au ho s
I ina Mü zelbu g, Félix K awa zek
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