The Russian occupation authorities intend to cancel the compulsory Ukrainian language curriculum in the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast beginning with the new school year, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda referring to the statement by the so-called Russian occupation authorities’ education minister of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Elena Shapurova.
The Russian occupiers claim that in September 2023, parents can choose whether their children will learn Russian or Ukrainian as their native language.
“This school year, Ukrainian is required for all students; children study it for three hours per week. According to the program, it was the mother tongue from 1 September 2022. However, after the [pseudo-referendum – ed.] referendum, everyone can choose which language they will learn as their mother tongue, according to Russian laws,” said Shapurova.
From the beginning of the new school year, children who choose Russian will have nine hours per week of Russian language and literature classes, with no Ukrainian classes.
According to the Russian occupation authorities, parents have until 1 May to select a language.
As a reminder, the Russian occupiers failed to organize the educational process in the temporarily occupied Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk region.
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