Kids in limbo: War, uncertainty, and the school experiences of Ukrainian refugee students in Poland

Abstract

Russia's invasion of Ukraine begun on February 24, 2022. By December 2022, approximately 8 million Ukrainians left their homes seeking safety in other countries. One million Ukrainian refugees (mostly mothers and children) settled in Poland and 200,000 Ukrainian refugee children attended Polish schools in July 2023. Based on the interviews conducted with Polish speaking teachers and Ukrainian mothers in Poland, this research examines educational experiences of Ukrainian school‐age children who fled the war and enrolled in Polish schools. This study draws on the recent literature on refugee education and related fields, adapts Horst and Grabska's theory of “radical uncertainty”, and expands on the social demographic lens on refugee migration by including educational experiences of refugee youth. Findings suggest that changes to family and school routines caused by the war hindered academic performance and social–emotional well‐being of some Ukrainian school‐age refugees regardless of mothers' advantageous socio‐economic backgrounds. Although some Ukrainian students experienced educational inequalities because of their refugee status, the uncertainty caused by the war was the driving force behind the changes in students' educational lives. We also find that schools are crucial in creating a sense of familiarity and restoring a sense of stability among refugee students.