Schools can lend laptops provided by the government during the Covid crisis to Ukrainian pupils fleeing war in their homeland, the education secretary has said.
In his letter, Mr Zahawi said: “Schools are reminded that they can of course lend the laptops and tablets that have been distributed as part of a £520 million government investment to support access to remote education and online social care during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic to those Ukrainian pupils who need them.”
The letter also says that schools may wish to share Ukrainian curriculum resources with pupils, but that this should not replace a school’s usual curriculum.
Mr Zahawi says: ”Schools are also responsible for ensuring that all their pupils - including refugees and migrants who have a first language other than English - develop the English language skills they need in order to access the curriculum and achieve their potential.
“Whilst schools should offer the same high-quality education to incoming Ukrainian pupils as they do their existing pupils, including delivering their usual curriculum, we recognise that Ukrainian arrivals may also welcome the opportunity to access Ukrainian learning materials during this uncertain period.”
He highlights that the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science (MoES) has published the Ukrainian curriculum.
“Whilst schools should continue to prioritise delivering their usual curriculum, they may also wish to share these Ukrainian educational materials with incoming Ukrainian pupils and families.
“Whilst these resources could be used to complement pupils’ education, for example, for use at home or in supplementary schools, they should not be used to substitute for schools’ usual curriculum,” Mr Zahawi said.
His letter also says that where Ukrainian children and young people may be attending supplementary schools in the evenings or at weekends, schools “may wish to signpost parents and carers to the guidance on keeping children safe in out-of-school settings”.
