A 19-year-old Ukrainian refugee has withdrawn from a British sixth-form college, alleging that staff repeatedly pressured her to study Russian A-level after she encountered difficulties with her chosen subjects, a request she found deeply traumatic and insensitive.
A Request Felt as Betrayal
Kateryna Endeberia fled to the UK in 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. After settling in Stoke-on-Trent, she completed her GCSEs at The Excel Academy in 2023. She then undertook a foundation year followed by a year studying economics, politics, and statistics at the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College (SFC).
When she began to struggle with these A-level courses, she claims teachers suggested she switch to studying Russian instead. For Endeberia, whose father is a Ukrainian soldier and who was born in Donetsk where conflict began in 2014, this proposition was unthinkable. She described it as "hurtful and insensitive" and comparable to "discrimination and racism."
Struggling to Adapt and Seeking Justice
Endeberia told the Guardian she also felt bullied because of her accent and believed the college failed to provide adequate academic support. "Rather than offering empathy or help, they continued to insist that I change subjects. No one tried to understand how painful this experience was for me," she said.
Frustrated by a lack of "clear answers" about why she couldn't continue her original subjects, she has now left SFC. She is currently studying at home using friends' notes and has applied to sit her A-level exams as a private candidate in 2026, which will cost her £1,400.
She is pursuing a formal complaint through the Potteries Educational Trust, which oversees the college, and plans to escalate the matter to Ofsted once that process concludes.
A Wider Issue for Displaced Students
This case highlights a broader concern for Ukrainian refugees in the UK education system. The Ukrainian government has previously lobbied Westminster to offer GCSEs in Ukrainian, amid reports that displaced teenagers are being steered towards Russian courses simply because they may have some prior knowledge of the language.
In December 2024, Ukraine's education minister, Oksen Lisovyi, met UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson to warn that being taught Russian could retraumatise the approximately 27,000 Ukrainian children displaced in the UK. Children's Commissioner Rachel de Souza has also urged the government to reintroduce a GCSE in Ukrainian.
While exam board AQA has stated it is considering developing a Ukrainian language GCSE, it is understood such a qualification could take several years to launch.
A spokesperson for City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College said: "The college cares deeply about our students and every effort is made to resolve issues and complaints in accordance with our complaints and resolution process. We do not comment on individuals for reasons of confidentiality."
