The Ministry of National Education of Poland is already working on introducing Ukrainian as a second foreign language in schools. The changes are planned to be implemented in the 2026/2027 academic year. The programme is being developed by the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences, in particular by Dr Paweł Lewczuk. It will cover students in grades 7-8 of both primary and high school. The possibility of including Ukrainian in the list of languages to be examined after the eighth grade is also being considered.
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The programme is being implemented with the support of Polish Minister of Education Barbara Nowacka and in coordination with the Ukrainian Ministry of Education. Today, the possibility of teaching the Ukrainian language in Polish schools has existed since 2017 – at the initiative of parents and with the consent of the school, if there is an appropriate number of students (at least 7-9 people) and resources. But in practice, such lessons are rarely organised.
The situation may change due to the new requirements for receiving the 800 Plus social benefit – from 1 June, it will be granted only to those children who study in Polish schools or attend kindergartens. This may significantly increase the number of Ukrainian students in the Polish education system.
According to experts, learning Ukrainian abroad is crucial not only for education, but also for preserving the cultural continuity of Ukrainian children. The introduction of Ukrainian as a foreign language also opens up new professional opportunities for Ukrainian-speaking teachers in Poland.
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