UK apologises to Ukrainian refugees told to study Russian
Britain launches GCSE in Ukrainian and says sorry to child refugees who were directed to study Russian.
At a glance
- UK schools minister apologised to Ukrainian refugee children directed to study Russian
- New GCSE in Ukrainian has been funded and launched
- Ukrainian students said studying Russian was insulting given the circumstances of their displacement
The UK has apologised to Ukrainian child refugees who were instructed to study Russian in English schools. The apology came as the schools minister announced funding for a new GCSE qualification in Ukrainian.
Ukrainian students who fled to Britain following the 2022 invasion said they found it offensive to be encouraged to study Russian when no Ukrainian GCSE existed. The new qualification aims to address this gap.
Why it matters
The move addresses concerns from Ukrainian refugees in UK schools and provides educational recognition of their native language.
Original reporting
- The Guardian — WorldUK apologises to Ukrainian child refugees who were told to study Russian
This brief was written with AI assistance from the reports listed above and checked against our editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.
