I.Herashchenko: Prime grade school for every child
13 October 2017, 11:15
‘We shall protect the right to have a quality and competitive education in Ukraine for each and all Ukrainian children’ – Iryna Herashchenko
“We shall be fighting for the right to have a high grade and go-ahead schooling for each and every child in the State of Ukraine,” stated Iryna Herashchenko, a representative of the Permanent parliamentary delegation of Ukraine to PACE.
Coming back to the education law debates at PACE’s 2017 autumn session, the First Vice Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament informed that the law in question had been harmonized with the EU norms and standards, appearing to be quite liberal at present. She then added the law’s article No. 7 gives good openings for a national minority’s reps to attain a proper education in the mother tongue at nursery schools (preschools, day care centers) and elementary schools, with then secondary schools also teaching the mother tongue and the literature, having room to master the state language at the same time.
According to the politician, ability to speak the state language makes a child more competitive and vying, paving the way to higher educational institutions and good jobs, including the public service.
“This standpoint needs keenly to be tipped off to our Hungarian and Romanian colleagues,” noted I.Herashchenko.
She also commented upon the PACE’s resolution approved with the recommendations to Ukraine on the issue. On October 12th 82 EP’s parliamentarians said ‘yes’ to the resolution, 11 voted against, and the rest abstained from voting at all. The yes-men were from Hungary, Romania, and Moldova, who had mobilized the left-wing forces as well.
“The resolution in question is based on the double standards, continuing to impede delivering a high-grade schooling to the national minorities in Ukrainian language. The whole Ukrainian delegation has voted against the paper nearly all to a man,” informed Iryna Herashchenko.
She also added the mentioned PACE decision had been made in
a prompting format, so Ukraine is awaiting for the Venice Commission’s verdict
upon the education law.
At the same time, I.Herashchenko underlined “we will be delivering our own stand-point at the heart of which is protection of Ukrainian children’s right to learn the national minorities’ languages and the state language as well”.