In Kyiv, 40% of teachers speak non-Ukrainian during breaks – Language Ombudsman's Office
Kyiv • UNN
Kyiv shows a decrease in the use of the Ukrainian language in the educational process, where 40% of teachers speak a non-state language during breaks. Only 18% of Kyiv schoolchildren speak exclusively Ukrainian.
Serhiy Syrotenko, Deputy Head of the Secretariat of the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, reported that Kyiv is showing a serious decline in the use of the Ukrainian language in the educational process. In particular, 40% of teachers communicate in a non-state language during breaks, UNN writes with reference to the official website of the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language.
Details
During April-May 2025, the State Service for the Quality of Education of Ukraine, together with the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, conducted the III cycle of monitoring research on the state of compliance with language legislation in general secondary education institutions.
Syrotenko emphasized that the conducted monitoring study is extremely important, as it allows evaluating not only the state of compliance with language legislation in education, but also seeing trends in the functioning of the Ukrainian language in Ukraine.
According to him, the Commissioner receives not so many appeals regarding violations in the field of education - approximately 5% of the total number of complaints. And they concern all forms of education, including preschool and extracurricular.
As for schools, this part of complaints makes up only one quarter of the total number of complaints regarding education. It would seem not many. But a small number of complaints does not mean the absence of violations. Obviously, this is due to the specifics of relations between the subjects of the educational process. Parents and children are to some extent interested in the loyalty of teachers. In addition, there is a problem with recording violations
The results of the monitoring study showed that in Kyiv, according to students' estimates, 24% of teachers during lessons and 40% during breaks violate the language law by communicating in a non-state language. For comparison, the average figure for Ukraine is: 14% during lessons and 21% during breaks.
When surveyed, students noted that they themselves violate the language law - 66% communicate in a non-state language during lessons, 82% during breaks (in Ukraine, these figures differ significantly: 40% during lessons, 52% during breaks). Only 18% of Kyiv schoolchildren noted that they speak exclusively Ukrainian.
Kyiv can be attributed to the Russified regions of Ukraine. All indicators are lower than in Ukraine. The younger generation uses the Russian language even more often than their parents. This is a sign of serious influence of the aggressor country. Through the Internet, social networks, Russia influences our children, the formation of language habits
The Deputy Head of the Commissioner's Secretariat emphasizes the need to adopt the Law on Amendments to Certain Laws Regarding the Use of Language in the Educational Process (No. 13072):
This law is not ideal and will not solve all issues. But it will create certain legal grounds for influencing both parents and children. After all, it clearly defines what an educational Ukrainian-language environment is, what language participants in the educational process should communicate in on the territory of the educational institution
In addition, according to Syrotenko, it is necessary to organize systematic work on legal and value education for both teachers and students, as well as to strengthen control within the education system.
The head of a general secondary education institution is obliged to ensure and control the implementation by the employees of the educational institution of the organization of the educational process in the state language. He bears personal responsibility and must ensure compliance with the language law
Addition
In Kharkiv, a taxi driver refused to serve a passenger in the state language and spoke about "infringement of the rights of Russian speakers." For this, he may receive a penalty in the form of a fine of up to 5100 hryvnias.