While interest in learning the Polish language in Ukraine remains strong, the situation of schools with Polish as the language of instruction is becoming increasingly precarious. Both representatives of the Polish government and leaders of local Polish communities in Ukraine are raising concerns. War, depopulation, and new legislation threaten the continuity of education. The issue was the subject of a special session in the Polish Parliament.
Challenging negotiations
The Sejm Subcommittee of the Education of Poles Living Abroad discussed the issue. The most significant concern lies with recent changes to Ukraine’s education law. As Beata Pietrzyk, Head of the Polish Education Department at the Ministry of National Education, explained, new regulations impose a minimum number of students required in the upper grades of secondary school. Meanwhile, Polish schools in Lviv, Horodok, or Mostyska are unable to meet these quotas.
“Without upper secondary grades, it will be impossible to maintain a full high school. Without a full high school, students will no longer be eligible to take the matriculation exam, including the Polish language exam,” said Pietrzyk. She added that in talks with Ukrainian authorities, the Polish side is advocating for existing schools to continue operating under current rules.
The changes could also threaten the future of the All-Ukrainian Coordinating and Methodological Center for Polish Language and Culture Education in Drohobych, run by the Association of Polish Teachers in Ukraine.
Schools continue despite the war
Speaking from a local perspective, Wiktoria Laskowska — president of the Zhytomyr Regional Branch of the Union of Poles in Ukraine and head of the World Polonia Education Congress — emphasized the resilience of Polish schools.
“Despite the war, we continue. Our school has around 200 pupils. There’s huge interest in Polish classes — parents want their children to study in Poland,” she said.
Yet even after completing school, students face bureaucratic obstacles in obtaining Polish language certification. Teenagers graduate at 17, but the B2 certificate required for university studies in Poland is only available to those 18 and older — a particular problem under current restrictions on the movement of draft-age males. A similar issue arises with the B1 certificate now required for admission to post-secondary vocational schools.
Polish teachers, textbooks, and remote support
Despite the mounting challenges, Poland continues to support its schools in Ukraine through the Center for the Development of Polish Education Abroad (ORPEG). Agnieszka Koterla, acting director of ORPEG, reported that in 2024, over 2,000 textbooks and teaching aids were delivered to schools, and more than 1,100 teachers from Ukraine received training.
Thirty-eight Polish teachers were assigned to work in Ukrainian schools, with some working remotely. ORPEG also supports schools named after the Commission of National Education (KEN), which offer Polish-language instruction online.
Family News Service
photo: Amata J. Nowaszewska / Family News Service