Czech schools are canceling support for Ukrainian children: what will change in September 2025

The Czech Republic is ending funding for assistants for Ukrainian schoolchildren. Find out how this will affect education, adaptation, and what parents of Ukrainian children should do

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Starting from the new school year, the support system for Ukrainian children in Czech schools will undergo significant changes. According to Seznam Zprávy, the Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic has decided to cancel funding that allowed educational institutions to provide Ukrainian-speaking assistants, purchase teaching materials, and effectively integrate children who arrived as a result of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

How did the support system work in Czech schools?

Over the past three academic years, Czech schools with large numbers of Ukrainian students have received targeted subsidies. These funds were used to finance Ukrainian-speaking assistants who helped students adapt to the Czech education system, acted as interpreters, worked with parents, and served as an important link between teachers and Ukrainian families.

In the first half of 2025 alone, 193 educational institutions received 89 million crowns for this program. These were schools where at least 10% of students had temporary protection status in the Czech Republic.

Why was the program canceled?

In response to a request from Seznam Zprávy journalists, the Czech Ministry of Education confirmed that the program will not be continued in the 2025-2026 school year. The reason is budget constraints and the reallocation of funds to general funding for non-teaching staff.

At the same time, schools with Ukrainian students can only count on basic language training from September, which will be financed from regional reserves. However, experts emphasize that language support does not compensate for the loss of Ukrainian-speaking assistants.

As Martina Škrdlantová, a representative of the non-profit organization META, explained, this was a very effective model — it helped everyone: children, teachers, parents, and the schools themselves.

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Problems on the ground: what school principals say

For schools, the cancellation of support has been a real challenge. For example, 100 Ukrainian children attend the Vrchlického primary school in Liberec. Principal Pavel Czoful said he was forced to lay off five assistants on June 30. From September, the school will be left without any support for Ukrainian pupils, many of whom do not speak even basic Czech.

“This is a huge complication for us. I have no idea how we will cope from September,” said the headteacher.

The situation is similar at the Bohumil Hrabal School in Prague 8. However, its head, Matej Rashovsky, decided not to let the assistants go — he allocated part of the funds intended for improving the quality of the educational process to this end. In this way, the school has retained Ukrainian-speaking specialists as part of its teaching staff.

Alternative solutions: language groups and limited resources

In addition to funding from their own budgets, some schools are setting up language groups for intensive Czech language learning. This allows students to integrate more quickly into the general educational process. However, not all schools are able to organize such groups, as they often lack resources, free classrooms, and teachers.

The new language training system provides for 400 hours of instruction, but it does not take into account the flexibility of needs. Training is only available in selected institutions, which creates transportation and logistical difficulties for many families.

“Foreigners arrive throughout the school year, and the funding mechanism does not take this into account. What's more, there is a simple lack of space,” says an open letter from school principals in Prague 8.

What are the consequences for Ukrainian families?

The cancellation of state support will make it more difficult for Ukrainian children to adapt to Czech schools, especially for new arrivals. The lack of assistants creates communication barriers, reduces the quality of education, and complicates interaction with teachers.

Parents of Ukrainian children who have recently arrived in the Czech Republic or are planning to move there should prepare for the new conditions in advance. In particular, it is worth finding out about language courses in the region, school infrastructure, and possible options for adaptation.

In this context, legal support will be useful, especially on issues related to admission to foreign educational institutions, paperwork, or changing educational institutions. Ukrainians can take advantage of consultations with lawyers on education abroad, available on the Visit Ukraine platform. This will help avoid unnecessary difficulties and better prepare for the educational process in a new country.

It is not worth expecting a quick resumption of the program to fund Ukrainian-speaking assistants at this time. The Ministry of Education is focused on other priorities. Meanwhile, school principals and community organizations are calling on the government to review its approach and ensure flexibility in the system to account for constant changes in the student body.

We remind you! The Czech Republic has updated its rules for providing humanitarian aid to refugees from Ukraine. Read about how the amount of payments is changing, who is eligible for increased assistance, and how to apply for it in our previous article.

Photo: Profimedia

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