The ongoing war in Ukraine has resulted in one of Europe's largest refugee crises, with over 6 million individuals fleeing across Europe and approximately 390,000 Ukrainian refugees currently residing in the Czech Republic (UNHCR, 2025). Since 2022, Ukrainians have become the largest foreign student group in Czech schools, with 53,246 refugee children enrolled as of September 30, 2024 (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, 2024). This situation necessitates a deeper examination of the inclusion process in Czech schools. Early efforts have focused on integration, primarily language acquisition and social adaptation, yet challenges remain in fostering an inclusive educational environment that ensures long-term educational equity.

This project draws on international inclusion frameworks, such as the Salamanca Declaration (UNESCO, 1994) and the 4-A model (Tomaševski, 2001), which emphasize key principles like availability, accessibility, acceptability, and adaptability, all crucial for fostering inclusive educational contexts, especially for marginalized groups such as Ukrainian refugee children. Inclusion is not only about access but also ensuring equitable participation and well-being, particularly for refugee students facing language barriers, social isolation, and uncertainty about their future (Dryden-Peterson, 2016; Slee, 2018). Comparative research highlights that while some European countries, such as Iceland and Norway, prioritize systemic inclusion, others face challenges where policies tend to reinforce segregation (Möhlen, Seitinger & Singh, 2023; Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, 2017). In Austria, three schooling models for Ukrainian refugee students were identified, ranging from full segregation to partial integration with varying levels of support (Woltran, Hassani, & Schwab, 2023). In the Czech context, social inclusion of Ukrainian students has been prioritized over academic integration, with schools focusing primarily on psychological and social adaptation, which has led to a lower level of academic integration (Hlado & Šedová, 2023).

Supported by the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR), this project investigates the perspectives of Ukrainian and Czech pupils, parents, and educators on inclusion in Czech Lower-Secondary Schools. By analyzing both structural and relational inclusion (Cooc & Kim, 2023), the research aims to offer empirical insights into the challenges and opportunities of fostering inclusive education for refugee pupils. Given the scale of the crisis, sharing findings from the Czech Republic will contribute to the broader international discourse on refugee education and aid in developing policies that promote inclusive school environments across Europe.

The methodology for this project aligns with a case study approach (Yin, 2014), combining qualitative and quantitative data collection to investigate the inclusion of Ukrainian pupils in Czech schools. This approach involves an in-depth examination of processes, collecting detailed information through various data collection methods over an extended period of time (Creswell, 2014). The research aims to collect diverse perspectives from teachers, pupils, and parents through surveys, interviews, focus groups, quasi-experiments, and direct observations. Data will be gathered from lower-secondary schools, including both urban and rural settings, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of varying inclusion conditions. Key components include surveys of at least 500 teachers, interviews with school staff and pupils, focus groups with teachers, and direct observation of classroom and extracurricular activities. The mixed-methods approach allows for a deep exploration of the integration process, examining the needs of all stakeholders and identifying effective inclusion strategies.

This research is expected to provide valuable insights into the key factors that contribute to the successful inclusion of Ukrainian refugee pupils in Czech schools, including the roles of language acquisition, social adaptation, and teacher training. We anticipate that the findings will highlight the critical need for systemic support, particularly in fostering inclusive school cultures that prioritize relational inclusion alongside structural access. Additionally, the study will examine the impact of societal perceptions and public opinion on the dynamics between Ukrainian and Czech pupils. We expect to uncover both successes and ongoing barriers to inclusion, with particular attention to the emotional and psychological wellbeing of pupils and the challenges teachers face in adapting pedagogical approaches to diverse needs. By contributing to the global discourse on educational inclusion for refugee pupils, this research has implications for the development of inclusive practices across Europe and beyond, helping to create more welcoming and effective educational environments for displaced children in times of crisis.

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. (2017). Fighting school segregation in Europe through inclusive education. European Commission. https://migrant-integration.ec.europa.eu/library-document/fighting-school-segregation-europe-through-inclusive-education_en Cooc, N., & Kim, J. (2023). School inclusion of refugee students: Recent trends from international data. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 27(2), 123-140. Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications. Dryden-Peterson, S. (2016). Refugee education: The crossroads of globalization. Educational Researcher, 45(9), 473-482. Hlado, P., & Šedová, K. (2023). They usually look happy: Approaches to the adaptation of Ukrainian refugees in Czech schools. Journal of Refugee Studies, 36(1), 45-62. Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. (2024). Basic information on the Ukrainian issue in regional education: Quick selection from the 2024/25 school year opening reports. https://www.msmt.cz Möhlen, H., Seitinger, S., & Singh, R. (2023). International efforts to leave refugee education behind through transition to inclusive education. In Perspectives on Transitions in Refugee Education: Ruptures, Passages, and Re-Orientations (pp. 123-145). Springer. Slee, R. (2018). Inclusive education isn't dead, it just smells funny. Routledge. Tomaševski, K. (2001). Human rights obligations: Making education available, accessible, acceptable and adaptable. Right to Education Primers No. 3. Gothenburg: Novum Grafiska AB. UNESCO. (1994). The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000098427 UNHCR. (2025). Refugee statistics. https://www.unhcr.org/ Woltran, S., Hassani, M., & Schwab, S. (2023). Schooling of refugee students from Ukraine in Austria and its risk for creating educational inequity. European Journal of Education, 58(1), 78-95. Yin, R. K. (2014). Case study research: Design and methods (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.