Education Minister Barbara Nowacka outlined the plans during an interview with public broadcaster Polish Radio on Wednesday.
"Intercultural assistants will support the integration of refugee children from Ukraine, who will be subject to compulsory schooling and education from September," Nowacka said in the interview.
She added: "Ukrainian children have been in online education for four years due to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. But we receive signals about many risks for these children. We want the children who will rebuild Ukraine in the future to know the Polish language and understand Poland."
Compulsory schooling for Ukrainian children
"We had to make the decision on compulsory schooling, which was also difficult for the Ukrainian side," Nowacka told Polish Radio. "It's hard to estimate how many Ukrainian children are outside the system. Polish organizations put their number at anywhere from 130,000 to 180,000."
"If Ukrainian students attend Polish schools regularly, their parents can count on receiving the '800+' benefit, which means PLN 800 (EUR 185, USD 200) in monthly financial support per child," she said.
Until now, Ukrainian children were exempt from attending Polish educational institutions if they participated in remote learning in the Ukrainian education system.
"For those who have difficulty overcoming communication barriers, additional Polish-language classes will be of great help," Nowacka said. "We believe that together we will rebuild Ukraine, so we are particularly keen for Ukrainian children who are in Poland to feel good here, be safe ... and be those who understand Poland and can communicate with us."
First aid classes
From the new school year, the Polish education ministry plans to team up with nongovernmental organizations for projects such as first aid classes. These will return to the curriculum as a mandatory subject after a break of 18 years.
"We are pleased that after 18 years, this subject, first aid education, will again be mandatory," said social campaigner Jerzy Owsiak, head of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, an NGO whose volunteers have long supported children and youth in training on how to save lives in various emergencies.
"It's only 12 hours a year, and it's up to teachers to decide when these classes will be held," Owsiak told a press conference in Warsaw on Tuesday, adding that "the entire scientific basis is ready."
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Source: YouTube.com/PolskieRadio24_pl/x.com/@MEN_GOVPL/@fundacjawosp