Over 60 Ukrainian children enrolled in schools in Offaly

Over 60 Ukrainian children are enrolled in schools across county Offaly, new figures supplied by the Department of Education show.

In all, 63 children from Ukraine are attending schools in the Faithful County as of May 13 last, 48 or over three quarters are in primary school, with just 15 in second-level schools.

In neighbouring Laois, there are 107 Ukrainian pupils attending the county's schools, the highest number in the Midlands. Again, the overwhelming majority (73) are going to national school, with 36 in secondary facilities.

The new statistics show there are 95 children from Ukraine in schools in Westmeath, 63 or over two thirds are in in primary school, and just 32 in second-level schools. In Longford that figure is just 41, 28 of which are in primary and 13 are in post-primary level.

Countrywide, a total of 5,843 Ukrainian pupils have been enrolled in schools across Ireland, according to the new Department figures released on Monday. Out of that figure 3,968 of these pupils have been accommodated in primary schools while 1,875 pupils have enrolled in post-primary schools.

To assist with the transition of Ukrainian refugees and their families into Irish schools Regional Education and Language Teams (REALT) are now in place, hosted by the 16 regional education and training boards around Ireland and staffed by regionally based education support personnel.

The primary role of the REALT, according to the department, is to build on existing regional education support structures and the initial focus will be on assisting families in securing school places.

REALT is also supporting schools in the area to meet the needs of these children as they emerge, advising and supporting the Department of Education in developing new capacity where required, and coordinating the provision of education services to schools and families across their defined area.

These teams are ensuring that clear, accessible information flows are in place between schools, local education support services and national support structures in relation to people arriving from Ukraine. Information for parents in Ukrainian and Russian on accessing school places is available on gov.ie/Ukraine