Teachers from Ukraine to be employed in Polish schools

Warsaw announced an employment scheme for 200 teachers, while Lublin piloted the measure last week with 50 persons

200 Ukrainian teachers will be employed in municipal schools and kindergartens in Warsaw, the city website informs. They will work as teaching assistants helping children from Ukraine integrate into educational institutions in the Polish capital faster. The programme is thus meant to assist Ukrainian refugees in two ways: by giving them the chance to get a decent wage instead of relying on assistance and by allowing them to help their community feel better in the new environment in Poland.

A programme with two-fold benefits for the Ukrainian community in Poland

Warsaw reports that after the war in Ukraine, over half a million refugees have passed through their city, with some 300,000 having settled there – mostly women and children. Now, some of them will continue their Ukrainian education remotely; others will join Polish institutions – around 15,000 people have done this so far, according to the mayor of the city.

Among them are many people who do not speak Polish. For them, Polish schools are launching preparatory activities – there are as many as 140 such departments in 87 municipal primary and secondary schools.

To respond to the need to integrate Ukrainian children into the Polish educational system, Warsaw has signed an agreement with the Polish Centre for International Aid, for the launch of a programme for emergency employment. The Cash for Work programme allows Ukrainian teachers having arrived in the city after 24 February to get employment in municipal educational establishments as assistants to Polish teachers. The costs will be covered by US donors.

Initially, the employment is foreseen for three months. After this, the partners will reassess the situation, potentially starting new activities for the summer with the help of partners from the private sector.

The first contracts with refugees will be signed this week, authorities inform. Under the same programme, already last week, Lublin announced that they will employ 50 Ukrainian teachers – reportedly, the first Polish city to do this.