Ukrainian GCSE to be offered to British students from 2028

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 4 Nov, 05:20 · Archive

Students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be able to take a Ukrainian GCSE from 2028.

A new GCSE in Ukrainian will be offered to students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 2028. The qualification is being developed by AQA exam board with a £340,000 grant from the Department for Education.

The Guardian reports that the UK has apologised to Ukrainian child refugees who were instructed to study Russian when no Ukrainian GCSE existed. Schools minister Georgia Gould said: 'So many students were pushed into having to do Russian. I'm really sorry that they were put in that position.' Ukrainian refugees have described being told to take Russian GCSE as 'insulting'.

The new qualification follows years of lobbying by the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian community groups representing more than 30,000 Ukrainian children who have fled to the UK since Russia's 2022 invasion. In 2024, Ukraine's education ministry wrote to the Department for Education expressing concern that Ukrainian children were being pressured to take Russian GCSE due to the absence of a Ukrainian option. Gould said the qualification was 'one of the Ukrainian government's asks of us' and reflected a partnership with Kyiv.

How it is being reported

• UK apologises to Ukrainian child refugees who were told to study RussianExclusive: Schools minister launches new Ukrainian GCSE and says she is sorry students were pushed to study Russian in its absence The UK has apologised to Ukrainian child refugees who were told to study Russian in English schools, as it launched funding for a new GCSE in Ukrainian. Ukrainian children who were forced to seek refuge in the UK after Vladimir Putin’s invasion in 2022 say it was “insulting” that their teachers suggested they study Russian in the absence of a GCSE in Ukrainian. Continue reading...Guardian World · 4 Nov, 05:00
• Ukrainian GCSE to be offered to British studentsStudents in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be able to take a Ukrainian GCSE from 2028 as part of government plans.Sky News · 4 Nov, 03:15

In this story: Ukrainian government · Department for Education · Georgia Gould · AQA · England · Wales · Northern Ireland

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log