The Rada proposed to ban the Russian language in schools and introduce the concept of a Ukrainian-speaking environment: what does it mean

The Verkhovna Rada proposed to adopt a bill on the Ukrainian-language environment in schools. The bill would ban teachers and students from speaking Russian during breaks and in private on the territory of an educational institution.

The initiator was MP Nataliia Pipa, secretary of the Committee on Education, Science and Innovation, who posted on her Facebook page. The document itself has already appeared on the website of the Verkhovna Rada.

The parliamentarian explained that the submitted bill introduces the concept of a "Ukrainian-speaking environment" into the Law "On Education." This will oblige teachers and heads of institutions to speak Ukrainian not only during lessons, but also during breaks, in the cafeteria, on the playground, stadium, or during private communication.

Also, according to Pipa, teachers can hold educational events, encourage students to speak Ukrainian, and make comments when they hear Russian in children.

In addition, parents will also be required to be involved in maintaining a Ukrainian-language environment in schools. The government and central executive authorities will have to develop a system for measuring children's language competencies.

"It is very important that the use of the Ukrainian language is not limited to 45 minutes of a lesson. We have to get rid of this conventional rule in the minds of educators, students, and parents: "The bell rings, you can use any language" (and we understand that this any language is for some reason Russian). A new rule must be formed: "public and public places –  in the state language," she wrote.

The MP explained this initiative by the fact that in Ukraine there is a continuing trend when children, and sometimes teachers, switch to Russian when they leave the classroom. Parents also complain about this, as some schoolchildren also use this language when communicating with their Russian-speaking peers at school.

As Pipa noted, this can lead to conflicts over language and bullying in schools. In addition, according to her, children who do not speak Ukrainian well in the first grade have difficulty learning and learn the material worse.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, according to Education Ombudsman Serhii Horbachov, Russian may be heard in schools during breaks because the law does not require that the state language be spoken during this period.

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