The Rada adopted a law on education in national minority languages: this should accelerate negotiations with the EU

The Verkhovna Rada on October 12 adopted draft law No. 16119, which expands and clarifies the educational rights of indigenous peoples and national minorities of Ukraine. The document provides for the possibility of using their languages alongside Ukrainian in the educational process, introduces a special status for relevant schools, and establishes additional guarantees for their preservation.

The voting results were reported by People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak. According to his information, the bill was supported by 273 deputies in the first reading and 266 during the final vote.

The parliament also initiated the urgent signing of the adopted document by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and its submission for signature to the President of Ukraine.

The adopted law is important for Ukraine's European integration. Fulfillment of agreements on the educational rights of national minorities was one of the conditions for further progress in EU accession negotiations, in particular the unblocking of two negotiating clusters, against the opening of which Hungary previously opposed.

What changes in languages of instruction

The law amends the laws "On Education", "On Complete General Secondary Education" and "On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language".

Ukrainian remains the state language of the educational process. At the same time, in institutions where there are classes or groups with instruction in the languages of indigenous peoples of Ukraine or national minorities, whose languages are official languages of the EU, the right to use the corresponding language alongside Ukrainian is guaranteed.

This applies not only to conducting classes. In the languages of the respective national minorities and indigenous peoples, it will also be possible to communicate with other participants in the educational process on the premises and on the territory of the educational institution.

The new guarantees for national minorities apply only to languages that are official languages of the European Union, as well as to the languages of indigenous peoples of Ukraine. As previously explained by the Ministry of Education and Science, these provisions do not apply to the Russian language.

Separately, a procedure is established for changing the list of subjects taught in Ukrainian in such classes. To expand this list, the school administration will need written support from parents of at least two-thirds of the students in the respective class.

A special status for national minority schools will appear in Ukraine

One of the main innovations is the possibility of obtaining the official status of a general secondary education institution of a national minority.

It will be available to primary schools, gymnasiums and lyceums, in which more than 50% of students study in the language of the corresponding national minority, which is an official language of the EU.

According to estimates by the Ministry of Education and Science, 149 Ukrainian schools meet this criterion, or approximately 1.2% of all institutions of general secondary education.

The obtained status can be indicated in the official name of the school and its founding documents. The law also allows duplicating signs, educational documents and certain official documentation in the language of the respective minority.

In particular, at the request of parents, education documents and their appendices can be issued not only in Ukrainian, but also in the language of the corresponding national minority.

Schools with special status will be able to include the study of national history, culture, traditions, symbols and customs in their educational programs.

For educational institutions of indigenous peoples of Ukraine, a separate status is provided, which can be obtained if there is a corresponding class or group.

The law also establishes transitional guarantees for preserving the status of a national minority school. If such an institution already has the corresponding right at the time the law enters into force, it will be able to retain the status provided that at least 20% of its students continue their education in the corresponding language.

The liquidation and reorganization of such schools will be complicated

The new rules provide for additional control over the closure or reorganization of communal schools of national minorities and indigenous peoples of Ukraine.

Decisions by the founders of educational institutions will require approval from the central executive body in the sphere of education and science.

In addition, in the event of liquidation or reorganization of such a school, the founder will be obliged, upon the application of parents, to ensure that students have the opportunity to continue their education in another institution with the corresponding status within the territory defined by law.

According to MES estimates, these guarantees may apply to no more than 141 communal schools in Zakarpattia, Chernivtsi, Odesa and Lviv regions.

Assignments for external evaluation can be obtained in translation

The law also clarifies the language rules for external independent evaluation.

For persons who are obtaining or have obtained complete general secondary education in the language of an indigenous people of Ukraine or a corresponding national minority, there is a possibility, upon request, to receive assignments translated into that language.

The exception will be assignments in the field of language and literature. At the same time, the law retains Ukrainian as the main language of external evaluation.

The adoption of the law is linked to EU accession negotiations

Bill No. 16119 was registered on October 1. Its initiators were the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, his deputies and a group of People's Deputies.

The preparation of the document was preceded by consultations between the Ukrainian authorities and the European Commission, representatives of national minorities and the Hungarian side.

Earlier, the head of the parliamentary Committee on Education, Science and Innovation, Serhiy Babak, reported that the bill is intended to remove one of the obstacles to the opening of two new negotiating clusters between Ukraine and the European Union.

Let us recall that on October 7, it became known about Hungary's unblocking of Ukraine's progress in clusters 2 "Internal Market" and 3 "Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth". At the same time, the formal opening of the clusters requires further procedural decisions at the level of the European Union.

Thus, the adoption of the law on educational rights of national minorities fulfills one of the important prerequisites for further progress of Ukraine towards EU membership, but in itself does not mean the official opening of new negotiating clusters.

The law will come into force the day after official publication, provided it is signed by the President of Ukraine. The Cabinet of Ministers will have six months to bring subsidiary legislation in line with the new provisions.

Based on materials from: Yaroslav Zheleznyak, Verkhovna Rada - Bill No. 16119, Ministry of Education and Science