The UK government is facing growing calls to introduce a GCSE qualification in the Ukrainian language to support children who have fled the war in Ukraine. The move is being backed by both the Ukrainian government and the children’s commissioner for England, Rachel de Souza.
Campaigners say the qualification would help young refugees maintain a connection to their culture and cope with the trauma of war. Many Ukrainian families are worried that, without access to a Ukrainian GCSE, some children are being pushed into learning Russian instead — the language of the country that invaded their homeland.
Ukraine Raises Concerns Over Russian Language Instruction
In December, The Guardian reported that Ukraine was “deeply concerned” to learn that Ukrainian teenagers in UK schools were being taught Russian because no Ukrainian GCSE was available.
Oksen Lisovyi, Ukraine’s education minister, later met with UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson to raise this issue directly. He stressed that being forced to learn Russian could retraumatise children who fled Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
One student, Vitalii, now 18, fled to London in April 2022. He said, “Why should I study Russian? I’m Ukrainian and I want to show it. Language is everything to us.”
Government Begins Process to Bring Back Ukrainian GCSE
Following the meeting, Phillipson said this week on Instagram that she had written to UK exam boards, urging them to bring back the Ukrainian GCSE. The exam was previously discontinued in 1995 due to low demand.
The Department for Education (DfE) has now created a working group to help move the process forward. One exam board, AQA, said it is seriously considering the idea.
Support From the Children’s Commissioner
Children’s Commissioner Rachel de Souza has also pushed for the qualification. After visiting St Mary’s Ukrainian School in west London — part of a network of 13 schools — she praised its work in supporting young refugees.
She said, “I’ve seen for myself how St Mary’s has become a sanctuary for families. It helps children reach their goals despite the huge disruption they’ve been through.”
De Souza welcomed the DfE’s efforts to explore a new Ukrainian GCSE. “I have long called for the government to provide qualifications in Ukrainian. These children deserve to feel proud of their culture and language.”
She added, “Ukrainian children living in the UK are part of their country’s future. They will help rebuild it one day. We must support their ambitions and help them succeed in education.”
Challenges Ahead and AQA’s Response
AQA, one of the UK’s major exam boards, said it sympathises with the Ukrainian students. A spokesperson said, “We understand these students are far from home and want recognition of their language skills. We have received the education secretary’s letter and are carefully considering the proposal.”
However, some in the education sector are sceptical. One source said developing a new GCSE takes two years, followed by two more years for students to learn the subject. “That means it won’t benefit students already here,” they said.
St Mary’s Offers to Help
St Mary’s has offered to become a hub for both GCSE and A-level exams in Ukrainian. The proposal has been backed by Ukraine’s ministry of education, which wrote to Education Secretary Phillipson in support.
“Creating a Ukrainian GCSE centre would give displaced children the chance to take Ukrainian GCSE and A-level exams,” the letter said. “It would help them meet their academic and career goals.”
The ministry also pointed to growing demand. It said around 27,000 Ukrainian children have arrived in the UK through the Homes for Ukraine scheme, with another 7,000 children from the wider Ukrainian diaspora.
The letter added, “Keeping up with their native language is vital for children who may return home when it is safe.”
UK Government Responds
A spokesperson for the Department for Education said the UK is committed to supporting Ukrainians. “That’s why we have asked exam boards to consider introducing a Ukrainian GCSE,” the spokesperson said. “This would give young people a chance to celebrate their heritage and language.”
