Immigrant children face bullying: lack of peer acceptance

On the territory of Lviv, attention is paid to the adaptation of Russian-speaking students

Ivanna Kobernyk, the leader of educational reforms in Ukraine and co-founder of the “Smart Education” organization, emphasized the challenges of adaptation of Russian-speaking children in Lviv schools. In one of the interviews, she noted that many children face problems of rejection by their peers due to different language habits.

Kobernyk emphasized that there are enough educational institutions with a good level of education and free places in Lviv, but many children who have moved to the city choose to stay on distance learning in their old schools.

The expert explained that the reason for such a choice lies not only in the level of educational institutions, but also in the language aspect. Children accustomed to a Russian-speaking environment may face ridicule and misunderstanding, which makes it difficult for them to integrate into a new social group.

She emphasized that changing the language environment is a difficult process for a child, because they are not able to adapt quickly. It is difficult for them to freely express their thoughts, understand jokes and take an active part in the educational process, as a result of which many children withdraw into themselves.

Kobernyk also drew attention to the formation of isolated groups of migrant children, because their parents organize distance learning, which leads to limited contact with peers and exclusion from the school team.