A meeting of the Steering Committee for Education of the Council of Europe took place on 15-17 March 2022 in Strasbourg, France. The participants condemned the aggression of the Russian Federation and outlined specific steps to support the urgent educational needs of Ukrainian refugees and those who remained in the country.
The meeting began with an extraordinary session, during which the debate "Education during the crisis: emergency measures for Ukrainian refugees and their countries of residence" was held. The Committee members discussed the current situation in Ukraine, as well as the negative consequences for its system of general secondary and higher education caused by armed aggression by the Russian Federation. Attention was also paid to the situation in neighboring countries, which are hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees, including schoolchildren and students. Representatives of 23 countries took part in the discussion.
The deliberation covered an exchange of views with the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees of the Council of Europe, Leyla Kayacik, who suggested possible ways to address the urgent educational needs of refugees through the Council of Europe Action Plan on Protection of Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025).
The participants in the debate condemned the actions of the Russian Federation and expressed solidarity with Ukraine. The Committee members unanimously supported the joint statement on the impact on the education of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine. It outlines particular steps to support the urgent educational needs of Ukrainian refugees and those who remain in Ukraine.
It should be recalled that the OECD has limited Russia's participation in international comparative studies in the field of education.
