Close to 110 Ukrainian children are now attending schools within County Westmeath, recent figures released by the Department of Education have revealed.
At primary school level, the county has 76 Ukrainian children with 32 in attendance at secondary school level.
From a national perspective, the conflict which commenced in February, has witnessed 4,766 extra children enter the primary school system with 2,031 additional secondary school students, making for a total of 6,797.
To assist with the transition of Ukrainian refugees and their families into Irish schools, Regional Education and Language Teams (REALT ) are being operated by the 16 regional education and training boards around Ireland and staffed by regionally based education support personnel.
The department says the primary role of the REALT is to build on existing regional education support structures and the initial focus will be on assisting families in securing school places.
REALT are 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 co-ordinating 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,” the Department of Education stated.
