The Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic has summarized the results of a large national project aimed at supporting children who left Ukraine because of the war. The total budget for the initiative, funded by the European Social Fund Plus, was about 40 million euros. These funds helped Slovakia's education system to accept new students and create conditions for their full learning and psychological comfort.
The project covered almost the entire country, showing a high level of solidarity from the Slovak community:
2086 schools participated in the program;
15,508 students received direct support;
more than 32,000 copies of language materials were given to educational institutions.
According to the Minister of Education, the main goal was to ensure equal access to quality knowledge for every child, regardless of their origin. He emphasized that the project's success is primarily due to the teachers and specialists who showed extraordinary professionalism.
One of the biggest challenges was the language barrier. To overcome it, the ministry, in cooperation with UNICEF, developed and distributed specialized educational materials for kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools. In addition to textbooks, schools received translated dictionaries of basic terms, diagnostic tools to assess knowledge levels, and methodological recommendations for teachers on working with children who have experienced conflict zones.
Special attention was paid to mental health. Part of the funds went to strengthening school support teams, so more psychologists, special educators, and teacher assistants were involved. This helped create a safe and inclusive environment where children could more easily go through the adaptation period.
The project was implemented thanks to funding from EU funds and within the "Slovakia" program, becoming one of the most important steps in the social integration of Ukrainians in the country.
