Ukrainian Refugee Leaves UK Sixth Form College over Russian Language Controversy
Kateryna Endeberia, a Ukrainian refugee who fled the invasion and moved to Stoke-on-Trent in 2022, has left City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College (SFC) after reportedly being urged by teachers to study Russian. Kateryna completed her GCSEs at The Excel Academy in 2023 and undertook a foundation year along with a year of economics, politics, and statistics at the sixth form college.
She described the encouragement to study Russian as hurtful, insensitive, and discriminatory, given her personal circumstances. Born in Donetsk, the site of the war's onset in 2014, Kateryna's father became a soldier last year. She also faced bullying related to her accent and claimed a lack of additional educational support. Due to these factors, she chose to leave SFC and now studies at home with notes provided by friends. She plans to sit A-levels as a private candidate in 2026, which will cost £1,400.
Kateryna expressed that studying Russian conflicted with her personal principles and experience. She has engaged the formal complaints process through the Potteries Educational Trust and intends to escalate her concerns to Ofsted if necessary. In response, an SFC spokesperson stated that the institution cares about its students and adheres to the complaints procedure but could not comment on individual cases due to confidentiality.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has been lobbying for the introduction of a Ukrainian GCSE to support displaced children. Officials have cautioned against retraumatizing around 27,000 displaced Ukrainian children. In December 2024, Ukraine’s education minister met with the UK education secretary, and the children's commissioner urged the creation of a Ukrainian GCSE. The exam board AQA is currently considering the introduction of a Ukrainian GCSE, potentially available within a couple of years.
