Children of Ukrainian refugees can be enrolled in Moldova's education system without the need for notarized copies of documents. In the absence of required documents, parents can sign a declaration of responsibility regarding the accuracy of the provided data. This clarification comes from Ivan Duminica, head of the Department of Interethnic Relations at the Ministry of Education and Research, during the public debate "Integration of Ukrainian Refugees – Challenges for Educational and Social Systems," organized by IPN News Agency. He urged refugee parents, especially those opting for online studies, not to overlook the importance of integrating their children through attending school, learning Romanian, and interacting with peers.

Ivan Duminica stated that from the early days of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the resulting refugee crisis, integrating Ukrainian children into Moldova's education system has been a priority. By March 2022, the Ministry of Education and Research approved a key document that remains in force today: the Instruction on the Integration of Children from Refugee Families from Ukraine into General Education Institutions in the Republic of Moldova.

In Moldovan educational institutions, Ukrainian refugee children are admitted even with non-notarized copies of documents or, in their absence, based on a signed declaration of responsibility from an adult.

A significant component of the mentioned document focuses on providing psycho-pedagogical assistance to refugee children. Another aspect emphasizes learning the Romanian language, with a tailored approach recognizing the difficulty Slavic language speakers might face in mastering it.

Duminica also highlighted that the ministry engages in direct, semi-annual discussions with parents to address concerns and challenges.

Moldova is the only country in Europe to have opened Ukrainian-language teaching classes, Duminică noted. These classes are currently available at the "Taras Shevchenko" Gymnasium and, starting next academic year, will also be available in Balti at the "Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu" Theoretical High School. Even though the teaching process is in Ukrainian, students study Romanian, and some subjects are taught in Romanian.

Additionally, in areas with high concentrations of Ukrainian refugees, centers for teaching Romanian to children have been established. Authorities also plan to continue last year’s initiative of organizing summer camps for Ukrainian children, fostering interaction between children in a friendly environment.

The public debate on "Integration of Ukrainian Refugees – Challenges for Educational and Social Systems" was organized under the project "IPN News Agency for Social Cohesion and Pro-European Moldova", funded by IMS.