(In)/(Ex)clusion to/from, in, and through education: diversified educational pathways of Ukrainian refugee students in Polish schools

This study explores how Ukrainian refugee students experience inclusion and exclusion in relation to educational participation and the social dimensions of schooling, and how these processes shape their educational trajectories and well-being. It focuses on students transitioning from primary to upper-primary education. The analysis drew on qualitative research involving Ukrainian refugee students (n = 55), their parents (n = 46) and institutional actors (n = 50). It identified three interconnected dimensions of inclusion and exclusion: (1) inclusion/exclusion to/from education referring to access to and participation in educational provisions; (2) inclusion/exclusion in education, concerning students’ everyday educational and social experiences within schools; and (3) inclusion/exclusion through education, referring to how educational arrangements, practices, and outcomes shape educational transitions and subsequent trajectories. The results highlight that inclusion and exclusion should be understood not as binary states but as multidimensional and dynamic processes that may operate simultaneously at different stages of refugee students’ educational pathways.