„The children who come to Lithuania want to study in their native language – Ukrainian – and be among their peers, in their own community, so we did not hesitate to organise lessons. There was no problem with Ukrainian-speaking teachers – they are among those coming to Lithuania.
They don’t want to sit idly by, so we gave them jobs and now they can work according to their education, competencies. The children are educated based on the Ukrainian curricula, but the presentation is adapted to our methodologies and teaching principles,“ says Andrius Pelegrimas, director of the Herojaus School.
He says some lessons for Ukrainian children are held together with their Lithuanian peers, such as lessons of Lithuanian and English languages.
„We care about the people affected by the disaster and understand how important it is for children to communicate in their mother tongue. So withouth hesitation, we have quickly provided and adapted premises for the lessons. The business centre's location is particularly important in this case – from Vienybės Square, Ukrainian pupils can easily reach the city’s museums and other major attractions. In addition, they will be able to organise their activities in the SBA Group’s renovated Vienybės Square,“ says Loneda Gražulevičienė, head of the BLC business centre.
Herojaus School at the BLC business centre will also be attended by Ukrainian children, who are being brought to Kaunas by Algirdas Stonys, entrepreneur and head of „Telesoftas“, together with their mothers and grandmothers, after having been taken to Ukraine to receive support.
„Our goal is to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine in the form of food and medical supplies to help the struggling country achieve victory. Together with our partners from NFQ, we have collected and transported aid to Ukraine and are helping refugees reach Lithuania. Yesterday, we returned with five buses full of around 220 people fleeing the war, more than half of them children. Helping them leave is especially important to prevent the occupiers from kidnapping them and using them as hostages,“ says A. Stonys.
Currently, five learning groups have been formed at the Herojaus School in „Kauno Dokas“ and the BLC business centre, where children from the 1st to the 11th grade will study. The children are taught by Ukrainian teachers in the subjects of biology, literature and grammar, primary grades, mathematics, history and geography, economics, and English. There is also a psychologist working there.
According to Mr Pelegrimas, the community’s mobilisation and goodwill are laudable: „Donations cover all the costs of the Ukrainian school – teachers’ salaries, teaching aids, and meals are paid by NFQ and their partners – and by the parents in our school community, who donate their own personal funds“.
So far, the children at „Kauno Dokas“ and BLC are expected to continue their education until the summer holidays. If the number of refugees in Lithuania does not decrease, the Ukrainian school will continue its activities.
Since the start of the war, SBA Group has already provided more than 140,000 euros in aid to Ukraine and its people.
