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

Exclusive: 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.

Announcing the new qualification, the 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. It’s really important that they will have access to a Ukrainian GCSE.”