This Tuesday, February 15, Jean-Michel Blanquer announced that around 800 Ukrainian children are currently enrolled in schools in France. A figure that has continued to increase since the beginning of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Decryption.
They fled their country at war, they left everything behind. millions ofukrainian childrennearly 1.5 million according to the latest UNICEF report, mostly left with their mothers, to a country where they would finally be safe. France is one of these countries: 15,000 people have already been welcomed on French territory and for the time being approximately 800 toddlers attend school, said the Minister of Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, this Tuesday, February 15, during his visit to an elementary school near Paris with Brigitte Macron. A figure that has been steadily increasing since the beginning of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
“787 children are in school, it’s a figure that remains reasonable but we know very well that it will grow in the coming days. We are organized for this reception with crisis cells in each rectorate of France”explained the minister to the media.
Read also: War in Ukraine: here are 7 things to do to reassure your children
Means put in place
To welcome them in good conditions, the government and National Education have put in place means. The Ukrainian pupils, who do not speak the French language, are placed for a time in “educational units called UPE2A”reports The Parisian. In these units, they have access to “reinforced teaching in Frenchwhile being enrolled in regular classes”, with other children of their ages. Everything seems to be done to make them feel comfortable and find their place.
But is this enough? In the long term, Guislaine David, one of the spokespersons for SNUipp-FSU, union of primary school teachers, questioned by our colleagues, doubts because a problem arises: “in UPE2A we risk running out oftrained teachers“before adding that today there is also a lack of school psychologists to listen to these children, and deal with their traumas.
One thing is certain, a wave of solidarity is well and truly launched. And moreover, a Frenchman, Sébastien Champalaune has created a platform “Ukrainian Solidarity”which lists nearly 1,400 private homes in the four corners of France, ready to welcome Ukrainian refugees.