A significant decrease in the level of use of the Ukrainian language during the educational process has been recorded in the capital's schools, said Serhiy Syrotenko, deputy head of the Secretariat of the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language.
According to him, a joint monitoring study by the State Education Quality Service of Ukraine and the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language showed alarming results: in Kyiv, 24% of teachers violate the language law by using a non-state language during lessons and 40% during breaks. For comparison, the average figure for Ukraine is 14% during lessons and 21% during breaks.
The situation is no better among schoolchildren themselves. According to the survey results, 66% of Kyiv students admitted that they speak a non-state language during lessons, and 82% during breaks. Only 18% of Kyiv schoolchildren said that they communicate exclusively in Ukrainian.
"Kyiv can be attributed to the Russified regions of Ukraine. All indicators are lower than in the country. The younger generation uses the Russian language even more often than their parents. This is the result of the information influence of the aggressor country through the Internet and social networks," Syrotenko noted.
He emphasized that the situation requires a systemic approach and control: it is necessary to strengthen legal and value education among teachers and students, as well as ensure effective internal monitoring in schools.
The representative of the language ombudsman emphasized that Kyiv, as a cultural capital, should be an example in compliance with language legislation, and not vice versa.
