MPs express solidarity with Ukraine and support for the right to education

H.E. Mr. Serhiy Shkarlet, Ukraine's Minister for Education and Science

On 21 April, we were honoured to host a briefing by H.E. Mr. Serhiy Shkarlet, Ukraine's Minister for Education and Science.

The Minister gave a briefing to IPNEd parliamentarians from around the world on his ministry’s efforts to sustain educational services and support the education of Ukrainian refugee children who have fled the country in search of safety.

Minister Shkarlet spoke of 1138 educational establishments, including schools, kindergartens and universities which have been destroyed since the war began.

Even before the latest hostilities, Education under Attack 2020 found Ukraine to be among the countries most affected by attacks on education in recent years. According to UNICEF, since 2014 when the conflict erupted, and before the current escalation, over 750 schools had been damaged or destroyed in Eastern Ukraine.  

In November 2019, Ukraine made a commitment to protect education in armed conflict by endorsing the Safe Schools Declaration. Since then, at least 1,000 military officials in Ukraine have been trained to protect schools and universities from attack or military use. 

Russia has never endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration.

Devastating toll of war on children’s mental health

The Minister also spoke about the devastating toll the war is having on children’s wellbeing:

“There is a huge danger to the mental health of our children and young people as a result of living through the war and we must do all we can to address it.”

The Minister spoke of the need to ​​urgently ensure the safety of educational institutions for children in Ukraine. He also mentioned the need to preserve opportunities for Ukrainian teachers to work and deliver education to children, both inside and outside the country.

Minister Shkarlet called for the need for the post-war reconstruction to focus on recovery of the destroyed education sector, including support for the return of refugees and their continued education. The Minister also took the opportunity to thank international partners for their resilience and support.

A renewed commitment to supporting Ukraine’s education system

We also heard from Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Director Yasmine Sherif, who expressed support for the Minister’s work and gave an overview of the ECW’s funding for the education response.

Ms Sherif provided us with a report of her recent visit to Moldova, Europe’s poorest country, where ECW is supporting the country’s refugee response with the aim of meeting the needs of the 50,000 Ukrainian refugee children and young people there. 

Education Cannot Wait Director Yasmine Sherif

MPs express solidarity with and support for Ukraine

IPNEd members from around the world shared their support for Ukraine and discussed some of the actions parliamentarians and policymakers can take to support the Ukrainian education system, as well as Ukrainian refugees in their own countries. 

Member of the European Parliament from the Czech Republic, Michaela Šojdrová affirmed Czechia's condemnation of Russia's aggression, and the fact that the situation in Ukraine will be a priority for Czechia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union which they take up in the second half of 2022. 

We also heard from Irish MP Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, Danish MP Ellen Trane Nørby and Canadian MP and IPNEd Regional Representative for North America Mike Lake. They spoke of how they are supporting access to education for Ukrainian refugee children in their respective countries, and reiterated their commitment to and solidarity with Ukraine.

MPs express solidarity with and support for Ukraine

Our Executive Director Joseph Nhan-O’Reilly affirmed IPNEd’s unequivocal condemnation of Russia's aggression, and committed the Network to doing everything we can to mobilise support for an end to the war and protection of the right to education of Ukraine's children.

IPNEd Executive Director Joseph Nhan-O’Reilly

Thank you to Minister Shkarlet, Yasmine Sherif and to all participating parliamentarians. As a network of MPs committed to education, it was a great honour to hear from the Minister and to reiterate our support for education in Ukraine.

Learn more about IPNEd’s priorities, including education in emergencies and refugee education, here.