The Ministry has mandated schooling for Ukrainian children and youth residing in Poland as of September, linking this requirement to the "800 plus" benefit. They had estimated an increase of up to 80,000 students.
Ukrainian student enrollment below expectations, say officials
According to Piotr Otrębski, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, data on the number of Ukrainian students in Polish schools is still being collected, but current figures are significantly lower than initially projected.
Otrębski, in an interview with Polish Radio, said, "We can talk about around 40,000 students from Ukraine.
This number is spread across 16 provinces, with relatively few students in each province. As a result, schools are not experiencing problems accommodating Ukrainian students."
Educational expert Jędrzej Witkowski from the Center for Civic Education identifies two factors for the lower-than-expected number of new students.
He notes that there are fewer children in Poland than anticipated and that some children, despite the compulsory schooling requirement from September 1, have not yet been enrolled.
"800 plus" benefit ends for non-enrolled Ukrainian refugee children
Currently, around 220,000 Ukrainian refugee children are enrolled in Polish schools and preschools.
According to data from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), cited by the money.pl portal, nearly 247,000 Ukrainian refugee children received the "800 plus" benefit in the first half of 2024.
From the beginning of January 2025, the "800 plus" benefit will be withdrawn from caregivers of children who do not attend Polish educational institutions.
Source: IAR/Polskie Radio 24/money.pl
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