New survey reveals number of Ukrainian children in Laois schools

The Department of Education has confirmed the number of Ukrainian pupils enrolled in schools across Ireland has exceeded 12,000. 

The figures also reveal there are nearly 200 children who have fled the Russian invasion attending school in Laois. The data shows that there are 116 girls and boys in primary school with a further 76 pupils in the county's secondary schools.

The figure for Laois represents nearly 30% of the total number of refugees from the Eastern European country who have settled in Laois since the Vladimir Putin decided to wage war on their country.

The most recent figures from the CSO and Laois County Council  show that there are more than 700 people from Ukraine living in Laois who have left since the war began in February.

Laois County Council's CEO John Mulholland told county councillors recent that the local authority is nearly at capacity in its ability to find homes for those fleeing the conflict.

According to monthly figures released by the Department, 12,544 Ukrainian pupils have been enrolled in Irish schools as of November 2022. 

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Almost 8,000 students have been accommodated in primary schools with 4,596 pupils in post-primary schools. 

Over 1,900 are enrolled in Dublin schools with 1,253 in Cork, 1,222 in Kerry, and 810 in Galway. 

The lowest number of Ukrainian students enrolled across the country are in Monaghan (50), Longford (102), Offaly (123), and Carlow (145). 

Over 50,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Ireland since the beginning of the Russian war. 

Regional Education and Language Teams (REALT) continue to operate to assist with the transition of Ukrainian refugees and their families into schools. 

The teams are hosted by the 16 regional education and training boards around Ireland and staffed by regionally based education support personnel. 

They ensure 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. 

Full list of students enrolled by county: 

Information for parents on accessing school places in both Ukrainian and Russian languages is available if you tap HERE.