RIGA, Feb 24 (LETA) - Although more and more Ukrainian refugee children are attending Latvian schools, challenges remain regarding double schoolwork, remote learning, and emotional security in schools, according to the UN Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) 2025 socio-economic study.

Children make up a significant proportion of refugee households - 42 percent of households surveyed have at least one child under the age of 18. Children comprise 27 percent of all household members surveyed, while 19 percent are between the ages of seven and 16.

In the 2024/2025 academic year, 80 percent of school-age Ukrainian children attended Latvian educational institutions, which is a significant increase compared to 62 percent the previous year. Girls were more frequently represented in schools than boys - 91 percent of girls and 81 percent of boys, respectively.

However, 20 percent of children did not attend Latvian schools. Almost half of these cases were related to the fact that the children continued their education remotely in Ukrainian schools. Some had already completed their education, while other families were still considering returning to Ukraine.

In the 2024/2025 school year, 53 percent of school-age children were studying remotely, often combining studies at a Latvian educational institution with online learning of the Ukrainian curriculum. This trend was particularly pronounced among older students, with 65 percent of high school students studying remotely, compared to only 2 percent in primary school.

The report indicates that more than half (53 percent) of children attending Latvian schools do not receive any additional support. When support is available, it most often takes the form of assistance with learning Latvian, followed by subject-specific consultations and general learning support. 33 percent of children also have access to face-to-face lessons in their native Ukrainian language. 69 percent of children participate in extracurricular activities-sports, clubs, or other interest-based educational activities that promote social integration and language skills.

In the 2025/2026 academic year, approximately 74 percent of school-age refugee children are starting or continue their education in the Latvian education system, including higher education, according to the report's projections. Seven percent of households had not yet made a decision, while 6 percent indicated that they did not have clear plans for their education.

Only 16 percent of young people aged 16 to 24 surveyed planned to study at Latvian universities. 43 percent did not plan to do so, while the rest had not yet made a decision. At the same time, 10 percent of young people in this age group were not involved in education, employment, or training, which indicates an increased risk of social exclusion.

The report also focuses on children's emotional security. 26 percent of school-age children have experienced bullying at school, most often from their peers, but in 3 percent of cases also from teachers.