Ukrainian education law enters into force
The Ukrainian law on education which introduces 12-year schooling, provides for an increase in minimum wages for teachers and stronger role of the Ukrainian language in education.
Law of Ukraine No. 2145-VІІІ on education was published in the official parliamentary newspaper Voice of Ukraine on September 27. According to the document itself, except for certain provisions, the law enters into force on the next day after its publication.
The law provides for raising teacher salaries to three minimum wages, which will start in 2018 and will be implemented gradually until 2023. The Cabinet of Ministers is instructed to provide an annual increase in the salary of lowest qualification teachers to four subsistence minimums proportionally to the growth of state budget revenues.
The law holds that the national language, Ukrainian, is the language of the educational process in educational institutions, but in accordance with the educational program, one or more subjects can be taught in two or more languages, namely in the national language, English, or other official languages of the European Union.
Persons belonging to national minorities are guaranteed the right to learn in their native language along with the Ukrainian language in separate classes (groups) of municipally owned institutions of preschool and primary education.
At the same time, representatives of national minorities who started schooling before 2018 will continue to receive it according to old provisions, with a gradual increase in the number of subjects taught in the Ukrainian language.
The law provides that a full secondary education will last twelve years and consist of a primary education of four years, a basic secondary education of five years, which is obtained in upper secondary schools, and a specialized secondary education of three years, which is obtained in lyceums or vocational education institutions.
Specialized secondary education can be of two types - general and vocational.
Training of students under a 12-year curriculum for primary school will start on September 1, 2018, for basic secondary school on September 1, 2022 and for specialized secondary school on September 1, 2027.
The law also proposes the allocation of funds worth 7% of GDP for education from the national budget, local budgets and sources not prohibited by law.