SzkoUA from the Perspective of Researchers
The report demonstrates how bilingual, relationship-based education supports refugee children and facilitates their integration without the loss of identity. Its findings have made it possible to develop an educational model that can be applied as a solution in other countries hosting refugee children.
The report, authored by Dr Katarzyna Stankiewicz (UKSW) and Dr hab. Anna Żurek (Prof., University of Wrocław), was prepared on the basis of research conducted by a team led by Dr K. Stankiewicz.
It presents SzkoUA as an innovative educational project that combines the Polish and Ukrainian national curricula, creating a unique dual model. This model supports refugee children by enabling their integration while simultaneously preserving their own identity.
Report
here you will find:
- results of empirical research conducted in 2024
- a description of the theoretical foundations for working with children with migration experience
- a review of the latest reports and analyses
Dual Model
here you will find:
- key elements of the model
- practical guidance for education administrators on how to implement the model
- a comparison of educational models for children with migration experience
SzkoUA from the Perspective of Researchers,
or what are the findings of the research report on our school?
- SzkoUA provides children with a genuine sense of safety
Professional psychological support for children affected by war-related trauma and the difficult experiences of forced migration constitutes a crucial area of the school’s work.
- The staff understand their students
Most SzkoUA teachers have personal experience of being refugees. As a result, their level of empathy, attentiveness, and commitment is exceptionally high.
The dual model works
Combining the Polish and Ukrainian curricula enables bilingual education, supports integration without the loss of identity, and thus helps foster open and inclusive cultural attitudes.
- Bilingual classes are effective
Classes co-taught by Ukrainian subject teachers and teachers of Polish as a second language support children’s linguistic, educational, and social development.
- Integration should be relationship-based
SzkoUA actively promotes the integration of students into Polish society by organizing joint events, workshops, and Polish–Ukrainian projects that build relationships and strengthen intercultural competences.
Why was this report created?
Despite nearly four years having passed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Polish education system has still not developed solutions that fully and effectively support children with refugee experience. In practice, integration often means assimilation—that is, abandoning the Ukrainian language, culture, and identity.
Meanwhile, theoretical frameworks and research findings on the education of children with migration experience clearly demonstrate that the most effective form of support is education that respects the child’s language and culture while enabling integration into the host society.
The Warsaw Ukrainian School – SzkoUA – is one of the few examples in Poland of this approach being implemented in practice.
This report not only describes the experience of SzkoUA but also shows how refugee children can be effectively supported in different countries and contexts, including crisis situations (education in emergencies).
This approach:
- supports children, their families, and teachers alike
- responds to dynamically changing legal and political conditions
- reduces the burden on the host country’s education system
- prepares children both to remain in the host country and to return to their country of origin
The dual model is a tool for policymakers, school principals, humanitarian organizations, and all those seeking answers to the question of how to educate refugee children.
Phone contact:
+48 733 200 128
Write to us:
sekretariat@szkoua.edu.pl