ANOTHER PLENARY WEEK OF THE EIGHTH SESSION OF THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE OF THE SIXTH CONVOCATION CONCLUDED ON FRIDAY, 4 MARCH
Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, opened the morning plenary meeting, and reported on the results of work of The Verkhovna Rada at the plenary meetings on March 3.
V.Lytvyn greeted the Ukrainian women with the International Women´s Day.
First Deputy Prime Minister Andrii Kliuiev, and members of the Cabinet of Ministers attended the sitting.
Dmytro Tabachnyk, Minister of Education and Science, Youth and Sports, answered the questions of the deputies during the Government Question Hour.
People´s Deputies from Our Ukraine-People´s Self-Defence Deputy Faction asked the Minister to publish the list of schools earmarked for closure, and report on the number of schools with Ukrainian language of teaching in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
D. Tabachnyk reminded that the Ministry of Education has not closed a single school in 20 years, as it does not have respective authorities. Only the local authority bodies have the right to merge or re-organize schools. "Therefore, the Ministry did not compile any lists of schools earmarked for closure or merger, as it would violate the applicable legislation," the Minister responded.
D. Tabachnyk was asked how the Ministry was going to supply the education establishments with the buses. He responded that 112 school buses were purchased and transported to the schools in rural areas last year. Moreover, 58 buses were purchased with the assistance of the World Bank under the Program "Equal Access to the Quality Education." This year, 250 ordinary buses and 16 buses for the children with special needs are to be purchased. In total, 2 thousand buses are needed, D. Tabachnyk stated.
The Minister of Science answered several questions concerning activity of the Ministry to provide quality education, and social rights and guarantees of the teaching board in the schools and universities.
D. Tabachnyk also answered the questions concerning cut-down on the governmental order, and certain privileges during the enrollment to the higher education establishments.
The People´s Deputies asked the Minister of Education about introduction of Internet facilities to the education process, work of the Ministry to support high-quality education, and non-performance of the state program "School of the Future."
Adam Martyniuk, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, read the Deputies´ inquiries.
The bill on Central Executive Power Bodies was presented by Oleksandr Lavrynovych, Minister of Justice of Ukraine.
Olha Bodnar, First Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on State Building and Local Self-Government, reported on the Committee´s decision to recommend the Verkhovna Rada to adopt the bill as a basis.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill by 262 votes.
Oleksandr Lavrynovych, Minister of Justice of Ukraine, presented another bill, submitted by the President of Ukraine, on amendments to the Law "On the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine" (regarding authorities).
Vasyl Demchyshen, Chairman of the Sub-committee of the Committee on State Building and Local Self-Government, reported on the Committee´s decision to recommend the Parliament to adopt the bill as a basis.
The bill was adopted in the first reading by 254 votes.
The Verkhovna Rada passed the Resolution "On Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of Taras Shevchenko's Reinterment."
People´s Deputies scrutinized the amendments to the Law on Fundamentals of Corruption Counteraction in Ukraine. Parliamentarians scrutinized and supported 33 clauses of the bill, and started to scrutinize Chapter VIII "Final and Transitional Provisions" that amends the legislative acts of Ukraine.
Adam Martyniuk, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, announced that the People´s Deputies would continue scrutiny of the bill at the next plenary meeting.
Chairman adjourned the plenary meeting.
On March 9-11, People´s Deputies work in the Committees, Panels, and Factions.
The next plenary meeting of the eighth session shall be held on Tuesday, March 15.