Sir, – Saturday marks the UN International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression.
We represent the range of staff in Ireland’s schools and other educational institutions, who have responded magnificently to the challenges of supporting children fleeing from the war in Ukraine.
These young people have been through unbelievable hardship and trauma because of the illegal invasion of their country and subsequent horrific war.
Sadly, all the indications are that this will now be a protracted conflict, so our schools and colleges must extend their welcome and plan for the medium-term, and possibly long-term, provision of adequate and appropriate services to all the children in their care.
The Department of Education must continue to engage with the stakeholders to provide a range of educational services to Ukrainian children and young people through the medium and long-term.
Around 6,300 Ukrainians of school age have arrived in Ireland of which 5,840 have been enrolled in schools across the country.
This includes almost 4,000 and 1,875 in primary and post-primary schools respectively. It is essential to ensure that there are enough places in schools and colleges to meet ongoing demand in an already-stretched school system, while finding ways of providing educational and therapeutic supports to students who have experienced trauma.
There will also be a need to maintain appropriate educational services for the estimated 5 per cent of Ukrainian students who have additional care needs.
We are highlighting these issues on the UN’s International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression to express our support for, and solidarity with, Ukrainian children and their parents and guardians. – Yours, etc,
KIERAN CHRISTIE,
General Secretary,
Association of Secondary
Teachers in Ireland (ASTI);
ANDY PIKE,
Head of Education,
Fórsa;
JOHN BOYLE,
General Secretary,
Irish National
Teachers’ Organisation;
MICHAEL GILLESPIE,
General Secretary,
Teachers’ Union
of Ireland,
Dublin 6.