Language scandal in Kyiv schools: a record of violations of the law has been recorded
8 November 22:04
There is an alarming trend in the capital’s schools – children are speaking Ukrainian less and less. In general, Kyiv is showing a serious decline in the use of the Ukrainian language in the educational process. These are the results of a monitoring study of the state of compliance with language legislation in general secondary education institutions.
Kyiv has one of the worst rates of compliance with language legislation among all regions of Ukraine. According to the Secretariat of the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, the situation in educational institutions in the capital is “threatening.” According to the deputy head of the Secretariat of the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, Serhiy Syrotenko, Kyiv can be classified as one of the most Russified regions of Ukraine, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to a study conducted by the State Education Quality Service in cooperation with the language ombudsman, 24% of Kyiv teachers violate the language law during lessons by using a non-state language. Another 40% switch to Russian during breaks. For comparison, the national average is 14% and 21%, respectively.
Students also do not comply with the requirements: 66% of Kyiv schoolchildren speak Russian in class, and 82% speak Russian during breaks. Only 18% said they use Ukrainian exclusively. According to Sergiy Syrotenko, the younger generation in Kyiv uses Russian more often than their parents, which is the result of the systemic influence of the aggressor country through the Internet and social networks.
The Ombudsman’s Secretariat demands the adoption of draft law 13072, which should provide a clear definition of the language environment in schools and allow for influence not only on teachers, but also on students and parents. It is also proposed to strengthen control and organize systematic educational work.
“The head of the school is personally responsible for compliance with the language law. He or she must not only ensure teaching in Ukrainian, but also monitor it on a daily basis,” emphasized Syrotenko.
