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Minister says she is 'really sorry' Ukrainian refugee children who fled Putin's war were pushed into studying Russian

Ukraine's education ministry wrote to the Department for Education in 2024 warning that Ukrainian child refugees were being pressured into sitting Russian GCSE by school staff.
Ukraine's education ministry wrote to the Department for Education in 2024 warning that Ukrainian child refugees were being pressured into sitting Russian GCSE by school staff.

Schools minister Georgia Gould launched a new Ukrainian GCSE on Tuesday, backed by a £340,000 Department for Education grant, after more than 30,000 Ukrainian child refugees were told to sit Russian exams because no Ukrainian qualification existed. The qualification is being developed by AQA and is due to be taught in English schools from 2028.

The apology came after Ukraine's education ministry wrote to the DfE in 2024 warning children were being 'pressured' into Russian GCSE by school staff.

Sofiia Chonka, who fled Ukraine in 2024, refused outright: 'I didn't want anything to do with Russia — they killed my people and injured my family.'

Vitalii Andronik, 20, who was urged to sit Russian GCSE as a 15-year-old refugee, welcomed the news: 'It's too late for me, but I want future generations of refugees to study Ukrainian.'

MoreThe IndependentSchoolchildren who fled Ukraine 'pushed into' taking GCSE RussianThe IndependentMinister apologises to Ukrainian children forced to take Russian GCSEThe GuardianUK apologises to Ukrainian child refugees who were told to study RussianEl-BaladGeorgia Gould apologises as Refugee Children get new Ukrainian GCSE in EnglandMagzterMinister sorry that Ukrainian refugees were told to take GCSE in Russian | The Guardian - newspaper - MagzterMezha.netUK apologises to Ukrainian refugee children urged to study Russian - Mezha.net
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