Education Minister Norma Foley said About 700 Ukrainian primary and post-primary students are now registered in Irish schools
Minister expects the true figure to be much higher as more people fleeing the violence arrive each day.
Speaking to reporters, Foley said that it was “more than likely” that there was a lot more than that in Irish schools.
“It’s very difficult to get the definitive number because schools are currently just registering them as they arrive, and sometimes it might take a number of days for that registration to take place,” said Foley.
“So we have in around 700 formally registered but they’re more than likely with a lot more than that in our schools.”
Speaking at Trinity Comprehensive in Ballymun, the minister said officials from her department are setting up regional teams to help refugees link up with schools.
Five students from Ukraine have already registered at the Ballymun school, 14 and 15-year-old Rostik and Anastasia are among five students from Ukraine.
The pair spoke to Newstalk about how they are settling into their new school.
Rostik said: “I like the school, it’s so nice, I like it.” Anastasia said: “The teachers have been so good.”
it’s expected as many as a thousand school-going children from Ukraine could arrive in Ballymun over the coming months.
Susan Kilpatrick is the vice-principal of Trinity Comprehensive said, “They have been getting to know the students in their class,” she said. “They have been taking part in different activities and projects.”
“They have been using their Chromebooks to help them with the Google Translate – the Duolingo as well.
Minister for Education Norma Foley says they’re setting up regional teams to help Ukrainian refugees link up with schools.
“It’s a focal point if you like, for Ukrainian families or their advocates to source places if the immediate school to them isn’t in an immediate position to provide a school place for them.”
Minister Foley hasn’t ruled out using prefabs to accommodate extra children arriving into the system and said officials are working to allow teachers arriving from the war-torn country to teach here.