Nardepka suggests banning communication in Russian during school breaks

Illustrative photo: vadimrysev/DEPOSITPHOTOS

The Council is registering a draft law that could oblige students and teachers to speak Ukrainian throughout the school territory, not only during classes.

About this announced the initiator of the draft law is People’s Deputy and educator Nataliya Pipa.

“We obliged all schools from 2021 to provide educational services in the Ukrainian language, but the problem is that children, and sometimes even teachers, switch to Russian when they leave class.

In order to change this, I am registering a draft law that obliges to speak Ukrainian at recess, in the school yard, in the stadium and on the entire school territory“, Pipa wrote.

According to the results monitoring 2023-2024, only 41% of students communicate with each other exclusively in Ukrainian during lessons and breaks.

Deputy explained that changes are needed, in particular, due to pressure on Ukrainian-speaking children, conflicts due to language and bullying. Also, the problem is that it is more difficult for children who do not speak Ukrainian to learn.

“Children who do not know Ukrainian well in the first grade already have difficulties in school, fall behind in reading, learn the material worse. Later, they have worse results on tests, ZNO/NMT and have worse opportunities for admission and work in the future.

Of course, there is a problem that in some families parents and children speak Russian. I urge such parents to communicate with their children in Ukrainian”– says Nataliya Pipa.

The submitted draft law introduces the concept of “Ukrainian-speaking environment” into the Law “On Education” and obliges founders, managers, and employees of educational institutions to create and maintain a Ukrainian-speaking environment.

The draft law provides that teachers will not be able to switch to Russian during breaks, in the dining room, or in private communication on the school grounds.

Instead, teachers and principals will be able to hold educational events, encourage students to communicate in Ukrainian and make comments when they hear children speaking Russian.

Also fromakonoproject offers parents of schoolchildren to join in creating and maintaining a Ukrainian-speaking environment in an educational institution.

“It is very important that the use of the Ukrainian language does not end with 45 minutes of the lesson. We must get rid of this conditional rule in the heads of educators, students and parents: “The bell rang – you can use any language” (and we understand that any language – for some reason Russian)“– believes Pipa.

According to her draft law, the Cabinet of Ministers and central executive authorities will be required to develop an effective system for measuring children’s speech skills.

“I hope for the support of both parents and educators. We must unite for the sake of our children.

The draft law is in the process of registration. All the details will be available later, as soon as the document is published on the website of the Verkhovna Rada”– added Pipa.

It will be recalled that earlier in Ivano-Frankivsk they decided to introduce a “language inspection” so that the Russian language does not dominate the city.