Ukrainian refugee children take part in a class at an elementary school in Dusseldorf, Germany. Reuters
Ukrainian refugee children take part in a class at an elementary school in Dusseldorf, Germany. Reuters
Ukrainian refugee children take part in a class at an elementary school in Dusseldorf, Germany. Reuters
Ukrainian refugee children take part in a class at an elementary school in Dusseldorf, Germany. Reuters

Education continues for millions of Ukrainian pupils despite war


Laura O'Callaghan
  • English
  • Arabic

Education is not doomed for a generation of young Ukrainians despite the Russian invasion displacing countless pupils and forcing millions more to flee abroad, a minister said.

About 1,500 educational institutions have been damaged in the nine weeks of war and more than 100 facilities have been completely destroyed, Ukraine’s deputy minister of education and science said.

But Dr Oleksii Shkuratov said despite the enormous upheaval the conflict poses to the education of children and adults, all is not lost on the education front.

At an online seminar on Wednesday, Dr Shkuratov said it would be “biased and wrong” to suggest education would go down the drain for generations of Ukrainians as a result of the war.

While he acknowledged the huge psychological stress the war had put on learners, from pre-school children up to university students, he said: “I don’t think education is lost for this generation of our children.”

The Kyiv administration is determined to make “every effort to restore Ukrainian education as soon as possible”, he said.

Bullet holes pockmark a wall in a classroom at a damaged school in Novyi Bykiv in Ukraine. Getty Images
Bullet holes pockmark a wall in a classroom at a damaged school in Novyi Bykiv in Ukraine. Getty Images

Classes are being conducted online and many students, including those who have sought refuge oversees, can access lessons led by their teachers, he said. However, there are obstacles for some people in continuing their usual lessons and many left home in a hurry and did not take laptops and schoolbooks with them.

Ukrainian teachers continue to receive salaries regardless of whether they are able to conduct classes or not, he said. “Security for students and teachers is our key priority,” he said.

Dr Shkuratov urged host countries to integrate Ukrainian students into their curriculums while also making efforts to ensure they had access to online lessons in their native country.

Ukrainian students inspire Irish teachers

Mary Immaculate Secondary School in the rural village of Lisdoonvarna in western Ireland is one of the many Irish schools that have accepted an influx of Ukrainian students since the start of the war.

About 60 Ukrainian teenagers joined the school’s ranks in early March after their families were offered refuge in Ireland and given accommodation in County Clare.

Overnight, the number of students on the school’s rota jumped by almost a quarter.

Initial tests carried out to measure the newcomers’ abilities surprised teachers, with the Ukrainians performing well in several subjects, particularly maths and science.

“They really were inspirational and they immediately made such a strong impression on our staff,” said school principal Mona Hynes.

About half of the Ukrainian students spoke a proficient level of English and were immediately integrated into mainstream classes alongside Irish students. The other half are being offered English classes in the hope that they will be able to join their counterparts in the coming months.

The Ukrainians have been offered digital platforms to access classes from Ukraine but are “still very interested in learning about the Irish system” Ms Hynes said. She said the continuation of learning for refugees will contribute to their healing from trauma.

“Yes there’s trauma, no doubt, and that will be evident, but we feel that the welcome and continuation of education will go a long way to alleviating the extent of that.”

Pupils from St Joseph's School in Dublin take part in a demonstration in the Irish capital. The school has taken in 28 primary and 18 secondary pupils from Ukraine in recent weeks. PA
Pupils from St Joseph's School in Dublin take part in a demonstration in the Irish capital. The school has taken in 28 primary and 18 secondary pupils from Ukraine in recent weeks. PA

Fears of rejection

Polina Shevchenko was one of millions of Ukrainians pondering their future as a refugee after fleeing her home city of Odesa in the early days of the invasion.

The teacher and qualified interpreter who is fluent in Ukrainian, Russian and English, found her feet by landing a job at Mary Immaculate Secondary School to help new pupils navigate the Irish system.

“It took me a while to understand that I need to go to an English-speaking country. This is my tool, this is what I can do,” she said.

The two main fears of young Ukrainians thrust into Irish classrooms are the possibility of not being accepted by their new peers and issues with communication owing to the language barrier.

But despite the challenges ahead for the youngsters and their new Irish teachers, Ms Shevchenko said the Irish people's welcome for Ukrainians had been overwhelming.

“From the bottom of my heart I want to say thank you very much for accepting us into your community,” she said.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

Revival
Eminem
Interscope

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The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm

Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km

Price: From Dh796,600

On sale: now

Points to remember
  • Debate the issue, don't attack the person
  • Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
  • Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
  • Listen actively without interrupting
  • Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
SCORES

Multiply Titans 81-2 in 12.1 overs
(Tony de Zorzi, 34)

bt Auckland Aces 80 all out in 16 overs
(Shawn von Borg 4-15, Alfred Mothoa 2-11, Tshepo Moreki 2-16).

Company Fact Box

Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The Details

Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5 

THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick

Hometown: Cologne, Germany

Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)

Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes

Favourite hobby: Football

Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

What are the main cyber security threats?

Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed

Based: Muscat

Launch year: 2018

Number of employees: 40

Sector: Online food delivery

Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception 

What is graphene?

Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.

It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.

It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.

It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.

Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.

The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.

INFO
TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)

What is THAAD?

It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.

Production:

It was created in 2008.

Speed:

THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.

Abilities:

THAAD is designed to take out  ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".

Purpose:

To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.

Range:

THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.

Creators:

Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.

UAE and THAAD:

In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.

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CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
The bio

Favourite book: Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer

Favourite quote: “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist

Favourite Authors: Arab poet Abu At-Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi

Favourite Emirati food: Luqaimat, a deep-fried dough soaked in date syrup

Hobbies: Reading and drawing

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
We Weren’t Supposed to Survive But We Did

We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.      
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.              
We weren’t supposed to write but we did.  
We weren’t supposed to fight but we did.              
We weren’t supposed to organise but we did.
We weren’t supposed to rap but we did.        
We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.        
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla

Ahmed Raza

UAE cricket captain

Age: 31

Born: Sharjah

Role: Left-arm spinner

One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95

T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28

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CREW
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Updated: April 27, 2022, 2:52 PM`