In today’s issue of the parliamentary paper “Holos Ukrainy” (The Voice of Ukraine), there has finally been published the much talked-of Law of Ukraine “On Education”
The law was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on September the 5th by 255 votes, signed by the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine A. Parubiy on September the 19th, and on September the 25th -- by the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. The law shall come into force the day after it is published, i.e. September 28, aside from some provisions scheduled to take effect later.
The law defines the state education policies setting education to be one of the state’s priorities. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is said to be the state body in charge to determine the policy of education itself, whereas the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine serves to be the major implementator, combined with other central executive and local government authorities.
The law regulates the social relations arising from a constitution-guaranteed human right to education, rights and obligations of individuals and legal entities taking part in exercise of the right; the law also establishes the terms of reference for the state authorities and local governments related to the sphere of education.
The law clearly stipulates as follows: “Everyone has the right to quality and affordable education. This right implies the right to obtain a lifelong education, the right to accessible education, the right to free education in the cases and pursuant to procedure provided for by the Constitution and the laws of Ukraine. In Ukraine, free and equal access to education is secured through the law. No one may be restricted in the right to education. This right is guaranteed regardless of age, sex, race, level of health, disability, citizenship, nationality, political, religious or other convictions of any kind, skin colour, place of residence, language of communication, origin, social and financial position, etc.”.
The law specifies that the human right to education may be exercised through obtaining it at different levels of education, in manifold ways and forms, including pre-school, comprehensive, extracurricular, vocational, higher education and adult (continuing) education.
The law formulates education policy of state according to which “education is a state priority to provide for innovative, social and economic, and cultural development of society. Financing of education is kind of investments in human potential, stable development of state and society”.
The state education policy is defined by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, whereas the Cabinet, the central executive body on education and science, other executive authorities and local governments are the policy implementers. The law legibly stipulates that the language of education at the relevant establishments is the national language of the state, Ukrainian language. The law determines modes of education, formats of getting educated, legal form of organization for education establishments along with their home rule, administration, rights and duties of the founders. The law also refines the management system in the education sphere, and adjusts its economic activities.
The law was said
by the President to widen the share of the state Ukrainian language in the educational
process of the country. The law “On Education” provides for the equal opportunities
to everybody as it offers any graduate a guarantee of high level Ukrainian,
which is critical for a good career in Ukraine.
It was stressed at the same time that it is of crucial importance for the state to adhere to the humanitarian rights of the ethnic minorities residing in Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine have been urged by the Ukrainian President to have the needful consultations with European partners, including the Council of Europe.