Social work perspective on distance learning in refugee education among Ukrainian child learners in Hungary

The right to education was established in 1948 by the United Nations, yet millions of children are still deprived of it today. This is particularly the case for refugees. The lack of sufficient education for refugee children damages their futures and harms society by compounding the impacts of displacement onto later generations. This paper aims to examine how distance learning can reduce this damage, focusing on Ukrainian refugees in Hungary. This study's theoretical framework is based on a learning theory of the digital age, connectivism. It relies on qualitative materials collected from Hungarian social workers who are in contact with Ukrainian distance learners. The findings reveal that refugee students relying exclusively on the Ukrainian distance education system do not fulfill educational requirements in Hungary, yet the Hungarian national educational system is unprepared to meet their needs. This creates a legal and social tension, in which social workers must manoeuvre in an imperfect system while prioritizing the wellbeing of the children. The study intends to contribute to the existing literature on refugee education in times of continuous technological development.