INTEGRATION OF UKRAINIAN STUDENTS INTO THE CZECH EDUCATION SYSTEM: FROM STATE SUPPORT TO SCHOOL REALITY

This article analyses the integration of Ukrainian students into the Czech education system in the context of post-crisis migration caused by the war in Ukraine. The aim of the study is to identify the key directions of governmental and institutional support for integration and to characterise actual adaptation processes within school environments through the lived experiences of students themselves. The methodological framework combines an analysis of policy and legislative documents (Lex Ukrajina, methodological guidelines of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and materials provided by META and NPI ČR) with qualitative data collected through classroom observations and interviews with Ukrainian students. The findings reveal that successful integration occurs in schools where targeted language support, individualised pedagogical approaches, and an open intercultural atmosphere are effectively combined. Particular emphasis is placed on teachers’ preparedness to work with refugee children and on collaboration with Ukrainian teaching assistants who act as mediators between schools, students, and parents. The study underlines the importance of further developing teachers’ intercultural competence and ensuring systematic support for the psychological well-being of students who have experienced the trauma of war and forced migration.