UK Funds New Ukrainian GCSE for Refugee Students
Schools Minister Georgia Gould announced a new Ukrainian GCSE qualification and apologized to refugees previously pressured to study Russian in English schools.
UK Schools Minister Georgia Gould apologized to Ukrainian child refugees who were pressured by teachers to study Russian in English schools because no Ukrainian language qualification existed. Gould stated that many students were pushed into studying Russian and expressed regret that they were put in that position.
To resolve the issue, the UK government is funding the development of a new Ukrainian GCSE, expected to be available in England by 2028. The Department for Education provided a £340,000 grant to the AQA exam board to create the qualification. This initiative follows years of lobbying from community groups and the Ukrainian government on behalf of more than 30,000 refugee children.
Ukraine's Education Minister Andrii Butenko welcomed the decision, noting it provides children forced to leave their homes an equal opportunity to choose their native language. The move is framed as cultural support for the Ukrainian people while Russia continues its war of aggression and attempts to ban the Ukrainian language in occupied territories.
