A draft law has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada, which may oblige students and teachers to communicate exclusively in Ukrainian not only during classes, but also on the entire school territory, including breaks, the school yard and the stadium. The initiator of this bill was People's Deputy Nataliya Pipa, who believes that it is an important step towards creating a Ukrainian-speaking environment in educational institutions.
Despite the fact that from 2021 all schools in Ukraine are obliged to provide educational services in the Ukrainian language, according to Pipa, many students and even teachers continue to use Russian outside of lessons. The new draft law aims to eliminate this problem by extending language requirements to all areas of school life.
According to the monitoring results of 2023-2024, only 41% of students communicate with each other exclusively in Ukrainian during breaks. This creates certain conflicts and pressure on Ukrainian-speaking children, and also complicates education for those who do not speak Ukrainian well enough.
"Children who do not speak Ukrainian since primary school face difficulties in learning, especially in reading and learning material," Pipa emphasized, drawing attention to the importance of parental support in the formation of a Ukrainian-speaking environment.
The draft law provides for several key changes:
- Introduction of the concept of "Ukrainian-speaking environment" in the Law "On Education".
- Compulsory communication in the Ukrainian language during breaks, in the canteen and other public places of the school.
- Prohibition of teachers switching to Russian during private conversations on the school grounds.
It is also planned to actively involve parents in the process of creating and maintaining a Ukrainian-speaking environment in educational institutions. Teachers and school administration will be able to conduct educational activities and make remarks if students use the Russian language.
In addition, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and other state bodies will be required to develop an effective system for measuring students' speaking skills, which will help track progress in mastering the Ukrainian language.
