Initiatives for refugee children
The Romanian government announced that the Ukrainian refugee children can continue studying in their mother tongue and students can attend universities in Romania.
Daniela Budu, 03.03.2022, 13:50
Romanians have massively mobilized to help Ukrainian refugees arriving in the country these days. Many of them are children, and the Romanian authorities, NGOs and ordinary people have turned their attention to them. Moreover, recently the executive director of UNICEF, Catherine Russel, has met, in Bucharest, with the Romanian officials and visited the border points, as these are areas where the situation generated by the Russian military invasion of Ukraine is managed, areas with Ukrainian refugees, the main concern being the situation of children.
A first Blue Dot center is a first Blue Dot center operational in Sighetu Marmației customs, center set up by UNICEF and the local authorities and NGOs, especially for refugee children and their families. In this center, UNICEF provides integrated services such as family reunification and reconnection, mother and child spaces, blankets, warm clothing, sanitary kits, toys, and baby food and hygiene products, psychological therapy and first aid. In a meeting of the Romanian education minister, Sorin Cîmpeanu, with the head of the UNICEF mission in Romania, Pieter Bult, the latter said he was impressed by the mobilization of Romanians in this regard, seeking to support refugees and especially children. He gave assurances that UNICEF will work with all stakeholders in Romania to support children and their families.
‘Children are always the most vulnerable, we know that, but when it comes to conflict, children are even more vulnerable. There are more than 7.5 million children in Ukraine and many of them have been directly affected by this conflict. Some had to leave their homes in Ukraine. They crossed the border to neighboring states, including Romania. Pieter Bult said.
Education minister Sorin Cîmpeanu announced that Romania has already taken a series of measures to integrate in the education system the 18,000 Ukrainian minors who have taken refuge in our country so far. Sorin Cîmpeanu: “We have 45 schools and 10 high schools with tuition in Ukrainian in 8 counties of Romania. There are many teachers in these schools who can teach in Ukrainian.
For example, in Timiş County, 360 places are available in educational units, where refugee children from Ukraine can be received, from preschoolers to high school students. 8 localities with a Ukrainian-speaking population have been chosen. In Suceava County as well, refugee children can go to kindergarten or schools with tuition in Ukrainian. The county authorities announce that there are volunteer teachers and schools in the Ukrainian language. In addition, young refugees from Ukraine will be able to attend university courses in Romania, and the funding will be from the state budget. The Romanian university system is open to young Ukrainian refugees in our country – the education minister announced, explaining that they can enroll at any time after submitting an application and obtaining the approval of the respective university. (LS)
