Verkhovna Rada Committee on Family Matters, Youth Policy, Sports and Tourism holds hearings entitled "Formation of Patriotism and National Consciousness among Children and Youth in Present-Day Conditions"

Information Department
16 December 2015, 12:45




When opening the hearings, Committee Chairperson Artur Palatnyi said: "We have gathered today to discuss an extremely important topic - the formation of patriotism and national consciousness among children and youth in present-day conditions. The events currently taking place in the East of our country have once again shown that our independence needs protection, and this is possible only provided that each of us will understand his personal responsibility for the fate of Ukraine. Unfortunately, in the tragic and painful circumstances in our State revived again the spirit of patriotism, love of country, and faith in its future. And an example of patriotic education of children and youth are now modern Ukrainians, boys and girls: heroes of the Maidan, the heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, military, soldiers of volunteer battalions, doctors, volunteers - true patriots, currently defending the honor, freedom and independence of Ukraine from external aggressor."
Participants of the hearings honored memory of the heroes who sacrificed their lives for freedom and independence of the State, with a moment of silence.
A. Palatnyi also focused attention of the present on the following: "Of course, the purpose of the national-patriotic education is the formation of the younger generation, starting from the family, kindergarten, formation among pupils and students of high patriotic consciousness, love of Ukraine, readiness to fulfill civil and constitutional duties. An important part in this process plays the system of education, including the personality of the teacher, the pedagogue providing efficient process in formation of respect to the history of our nation, patriotism, youth hardening both physical and mental. "
According to the Chairperson of the Committee, the main factors influencing the feeling of patriotism are not just language, state symbols, culture and traditions of the people, but guaranteeing by the State of respect, social support, adequate housing, employment, professional growth and decent wages to young people-patriots of Ukraine.

"I think that one of the priority tasks should be the formation of State order for production of printed publications, film, video, radio, and TV programs of patriotic orientation and its effective coverage. Unfortunately, mass media have quite a few materials covering heroic pages of real Ukrainian history and of modern era. That is why one of the items of our Recommendations should be strengthening of patriotic orientation of TV- and radio programs, materials of printed mass media outlets," said the Chairperson of the Committee.
He also stressed that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, whose is in charge for the drafting and adoption of laws addressing the needs of the society development and the State in all spheres of life, has together with public authorities, local self-government and the public to elaborate an effective regulatory framework regarding national-patriotic education of children and youth.
As was noted during the discussion, the formation of patriotism and national consciousness among children and youth is a matter of national security, and on effectiveness of its implementation depends the success of development of all other spheres of the State and the Ukrainian society.
Analysis of information materials of central and local bodies of executive authorities concerning the national-patriotic education of youth in 2014 - 2015 indicates holding of a large number of events of national-patriotic orientation. At the same time, there are several major problems in the national-patriotic education of youth:
- there is no single strategic approach, systemic activity of executive authorities and local self-government bodies concerning the patriotic education of children and youth;
- carrying out of measures is assessed only by quantitative indicators, which leads to the difficulty of evaluation of the effectiveness of these measures implementation;
- has not been defined central body of executive authorities coordinating the activity of all government bodies concerning ensuring national-patriotic education of children and youth;
- has not been established effective inter-agency cooperation among the government bodies and institutions, cooperation with NGOs;
- information policy in the field of national-patriotic education lacks necessary attention.

Participants of the Committee hearings believe that the state system of national-patriotic education should be:
- nationwide: the national-patriotic education should start from the very childhood and not limited by age, apply to all the population;
- systematic: be conducted regularly at national and regional levels, and not only through the implementation of certain programs and activities;
- predictable and aimed at the predictable particular result that could be measured and assessed;
- coordinated: carrying out of national-patriotic measures should be coordinated whether they are held by central government, local self-government bodies, or public associations;
- well-founded: elaboration of programs and measures should take into account current needs and opinions of the youth;
- consider Ukrainian language as an effective tool of the formation of national-patriotic consciousness;
- information support in the form of permanent, systematic information campaign of the national-patriotic orientation.