The Confederation party argues the Education Ministry’s action puts Polish students at a disadvantage.
An opposition party in Poland has criticized the government’s decision to include Ukrainian in the list of foreign languages for school graduation exams, asserting it could give Ukrainian refugee children an unfair advantage over Polish students in university admissions.
Starting next year, schoolchildren can choose Ukrainian in their Matura exams, which are crucial for university entry. The government in Warsaw stated in 2023 that the decision was due to “the large influx of Ukrainian citizens to Poland… may have an impact on Poles’ greater interest in that country, its language, and culture.” Since February 2022, Poland is estimated to have taken in over a million refugees following the escalation of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
The right-wing Confederation (Konfederacja) party, holding 16 parliamentary seats, denounced the move in a Friday Facebook post, claiming it “privileges Ukrainian students over Polish ones.”
“The Ukrainian students will get the highest scores in their native language, while Polish students, who are actually learning a foreign language, would have to compete with them,” the statement read.
The party considers the situation “serious,” given that 200,000 Ukrainian children are currently enrolled in Polish schools.
They also claimed that adding Ukrainian to the Matura exam was a “political decision” made by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government.
“It is part of a broader trend of creating favorable conditions for Ukrainians to settle in Poland and build an alternative society. The Ukrainian language is widespread in stores, advertising, government offices, and now even in schools. This is a fundamental mistake that will be paid for by the future generations of Poles,” the Confederation party stated.
In late September, Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed legislation that made unemployed Ukrainian refugees ineligible for state benefits.
According to a report in Le Monde last month, anti-Ukrainian sentiment is increasing in Poland. Locals have accused refugees of misusing the benefits system, having preferential access to healthcare and other public services, and contributing to a rise in crime.