UK apologises to Ukrainian child refugees who were told to study Russian

The UK has apologised to Ukrainian child refugees who were encouraged to take Russian GCSE because schools lacked a Ukrainian qualification. The government is funding a new Ukrainian GCSE, giving pupils a way to study and gain recognition for their native language.

The qualification is being developed by exam board AQA with a £340,000 Department for Education grant and is expected to be ready in England in 2028. More than 30,000 Ukrainian children have fled to the UK since Russia’s 2022 invasion; pupils and community groups had lobbied for the course, saying being directed towards Russian was insulting.