MP Natalia Pipa said she would register a bill in the Verkhovna Rada that would oblige students and teachers to speak Ukrainian on school grounds, including during breaks, Komersant ukrainskyi
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“We have obliged all schools to provide educational services in Ukrainian from 2021, but the problem is that when children, and sometimes teachers, leave the classroom, they switch to Russian. In order to change this, I am registering a draft law that requires Ukrainian to be spoken during recess, in the schoolyard, at the stadium, and throughout the school,” Pipa wrote.
Pipa cited the results of the 2023-2024 monitoring, according to which only 41% of students speak Ukrainian exclusively during lessons and breaks.
“In order to change this, I am registering a draft law that obliges us to speak Ukrainian during breaks, in the schoolyard, at the stadium, and throughout the school,” the MP said.
She gave several reasons why changes are needed:
- “there are obvious reasons that have quite unpleasant consequences – pressure on Ukrainian-speaking children, conflicts over language and bullying;
- and there are more pragmatic reasons: children who do not speak Ukrainian well in the first grade have difficulties in school, lag behind in reading, and learn less well. Later, they have worse results in control tests, EIT/ST and have worse opportunities for admission and work in the future.
The MP emphasised that the use of the Ukrainian language should not end with 45 minutes of lessons.
“What does this mean for teachers? Do not switch to Russian during breaks, in the dining room, in private communication on school grounds – you are still at work. Teachers and principals can also hold awareness-raising events, encourage students to speak Ukrainian and make comments when they hear children speaking Russian. What does this mean for parents? Parents of students are obliged to be involved in creating and maintaining a Ukrainian-speaking environment in the school,” Pipa explained.