ISSN 2786-4561 (printed)
ISSN 2786-457X (online)

CONSTRUCTIVE GEOGRAPHY AND RATIONAL USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Vol.7.1 (2026). pp. 82-87

Ukrainian children’s educational trajectories in migration: problems based on a parents’ survey

Chepel R.

https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0957-1768
Taras Shevchenko National University, Kyiv, Ukraine
https://doi.org/10.17721/2786-4561.2026.7.1-9/14

Annotation. The article examines the educational challenges faced by Ukrainian children living in migration, based on the results of an online survey of their parents. The empirical basis is the answers of more than 600 respondents - parents of Ukrainian schoolchildren residing in European countries and selected countries in Asia following the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The online survey was conducted from January 3 to May 5, 2025, through Ukrainian diaspora communities on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Facebook. The methodological framework of the study is a thematic content analysis of open-ended responses, followed by the interpretation of results within a socio-geographical approach. Six groups of problems were identified: excessive academic workload for children studying in two educational systems; linguistic and adaptation difficulties in host-country schools; organizational challenges related to time zones, schedules, and lesson formats; unequal access to Ukrainian-language educational content; tensions between the quality, scope, and feasibility of additional learning; and parents’ distrust regarding potential politicization of educational content. It is shown that migration processes shape a transnational educational space in which families are forced to integrate children into host-country school systems while maintaining connections to the Ukrainian language, culture, and education. The study substantiates the need for flexible, moderate, and supportive learning models that do not duplicate the full school curriculum but instead respond to the real needs of children in migration.

Keywords: migration processes, Ukrainian children abroad, alternative education, educational workload, Ukrainian-language education, educational needs.
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