School choice in uncertainty: temporariness and liminality of Ukrainian refugee mothers

This qualitative study focuses on the educational choices of Ukrainian refugee mothers, who fled to Israel in the months following the Russian invasion. Comparing the educational choices of 20 mothers, those who can claim citizenship based on their Jewish ancestry (classified as “returnees”); and those who received extended temporary tourist visas (classified as “fugitives”), the study shows the layered conditions that contribute to educational decision-making. The research participants share a similar background and have all fled the same country abruptly. Like other refugee mothers, they face an acute sense of uncertainty, not knowing when and if they will be able to return home. However, there are vast differences in their experiences upon arriving in Israel, as the degree of temporariness they experience is mitigated by their legal status. Mothers were highly focused on education as a future-making process, but the precariousness of their legal status dictated their ability to exhibit educational agency and make educational choices. To understand how differences in the experiences of uncertainty mediate parents’ educational choices, the article focuses on three main pillars shaping these Ukrainian mothers’ educational choices: the centrality of education for Ukrainian mothers, their educational agency, and how liminal legality and notions of temporariness shape educational expectations and future trajectories.