The pupils have been allotted to three different classes. Priority at the moment is improving their English skills and familiarising them with the Latin alphabet. To help them settle, a Ukrainian teaching assistant accompanies them along the way.
Twelve-year-old Zakhar came to the Grand Duchy from Bucha, a town near Kyiv that saw heavy fighting before Russian forces began retreating at the end of March. Zakhar has been living in Luxembourg with his mother and brother for the past two months, staying at a hotel in Luxembourg City. His father is currently in southern Ukraine, and both talk on the phone every evening.
Gérard Zens, director of the Differdange international school, provided insight into the situation, explaining that most of the Ukrainian refugees still hope to return home once the war is over. Nevertheless, they are happy to have found a home in Luxembourg in the meantime and feel the solidarity of locals, Zens noted.
