02.08.2017, Ukraine.
A decree mandating that first-grade lessons be conducted in the Ukrainian language has gone into force for all schools in the Kherson region, the Head of the Education Board of the Kherson Regional State Administration Evgeniy Krinitsky stated in his interview to journalists on August 1, Russia Today informs.
The member of the Kherson Regional Council stressed that the change-over of all schools to the Ukrainian language is a principled position; therefore, “it is planned to begin with the first grades already in this year1”. Krinitsky also underlined that it will be necessary to train the teaching staff and to buy extra schoolbooks in the Ukrainian language. Krinitsky pointed out that the change-over to the Ukrainian language will be gradual, and it will take a long time.
The Kherson Regional Administration passed the decree2 mandating Russian educational institutions to switch to the Ukrainian language as the language of instruction. As of today, all Russian educational institutions in the Region including 26 Russian schools are involved in this process.
1 The academic year in Ukraine begins on September 1st.
2 This decree also contradicts the Bill “On the principles of the state language policy” which guarantees the usage of the “regional languages” in Ukraine. The “regional language” is a language which is considered native by 10% of the population of the corresponding region. Within such regions, the regional language may be used alongside the Ukrainian language in all official institutions including schools, universities, courts etc. Of note, 29.6% of Ukrainians defined the Russian language as their native language according to the results of the Ukrainian Census held in 2001.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
