UK apologises to Ukrainian child refugees who were told to study Russian
The UK has apologized to Ukrainian child refugees who were told to study Russian in English schools, announcing funding for a new GCSE in Ukrainian to be ready by 2028.
The UK government has formally apologized to Ukrainian child refugees who were told to study Russian in English schools, as it announced funding for a new GCSE in Ukrainian language. The qualification, being developed by the AQA exam board with a £340,000 grant from the Department for Education, will be available in England by 2028.
Ukrainian children who fled to the UK following Vladimir Putin's 2022 invasion described being pressured to study Russian as 'insulting,' particularly given the cultural significance of Ukrainian language in the conflict with Russia. Putin has banned Ukrainian books and teaching in occupied territories.
Government Response
Schools minister Georgia Gould made the announcement during a visit to St Mary's school in west London, the center of a network of 13 Ukrainian-language schools in the UK. She personally apologized to Vitalii Andronik, 20, who had been urged to study Russian GCSE as a 15-year-old refugee.
So many students were pushed into having to do Russian. I'm really sorry that they were put in that position. It's really important that they will have access to a Ukrainian GCSE.
Community Impact
The new qualification addresses concerns raised by Ukraine's education ministry in a 2024 letter to the DfE, which stated that many Ukrainian children were being pressured by school staff to pass the Russian GCSE. Ukrainian community groups have been lobbying for this since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Sixteen-year-old Sofiia Chonka, who fled to London from Zakarpattia in 2024, refused when teachers suggested she study Russian. 'I didn't want anything to do with Russia – they killed my people and injured my family,' she said. She welcomed the new exam as recognition of the trauma refugees experienced.
Future Plans
Ukraine's education minister Andrii Butenko expressed gratitude, calling the new qualification 'an equal opportunity to choose their native language as a GCSE subject.' Inna Hryhorovych, head of St Mary's Trust, who has campaigned for the GCSE since 2014, said her next target would be a new A-level in Ukrainian.
Gould acknowledged that exam boards had been nervous about developing a qualification for a relatively small cohort of students but emphasized the government's commitment. She encouraged British children to study Ukrainian as an act of solidarity, joking that Ukrainian students could tutor their friends as a 'side hustle.'
When Gould announced the plan to Ukrainian pupils, they applauded and in unison said 'diakuyemo' – 'thank you very much' in Ukrainian. The minister noted that some students currently in school will be able to study for the new GCSE once it's available.
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