Rise in Ukrainian children who have found refuge in Laois

The number of children enrolled in Laois schools who have fled Ukraine due to the war waged by Russia against their country has risen by nearly 10% so far in 2023, according to official figures.

A total of 207 students have enrolled in Laois up to January 2023. There are 125 children in primary schools while another 82  pupils are attending secondary schools in the county. 

The end of January is up on late December. When schools broke up for the Christmas school holiday there were 112 children in primary school with a further 77 students in secondary school.

The Department of Education confirmed that as of 31 January, 14,482 Ukrainian pupils have been enrolled in schools across Ireland.

Laois has more schoolchildren than Offaly and Carlow but less than Kildare, Kilkenny and Tipperary. 

Out of the national figure, 9,334 of these pupils have been accommodated in primary schools while 5,148 pupils have enrolled in post-primary schools.

WATCH: Rose of Tralee invites entries to the Laois Rose 2023

Current data indicates an enrolment rate of 92% among Ukrainian children aged 5-18.

To assist with the transition of Ukrainian students and their families into Irish schools Regional Education and Language Teams (REALT) continue to operate, hosted by the 16 regional education and training boards around Ireland and staffed by regionally-based education support personnel.

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.

Information for parents in Ukrainian and Russian on accessing school places is available on www.gov.ie/Ukraine