30 institutes unite in defence of the Ukrainian language

(Where) there’s language, there is a future

Language and Literature specialists from 30 Ukrainian higher educational institutes have formed a civic organization – the National Association of Ukrainian Language and Literature Teachers.  Their aim:  to join forces in defending the Ukrainian language.  They are ready to join in drawing up legislation aimed at promoting the development of the language.

Teachers from all over the country gathered in Lviv for the founding congress of the Association. They say that they can’t just watch indifferently as the boundaries of use of the Ukrainian language are narrowed, and therefore want to give politicians an open lesson.

The Head of the Association, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Professor, Volodymyr Panchenko says that there are tens of thousands of teachers of Ukrainian Language and Literature in schools, colleges and institutes who are watching with pain as their native language is destroyed.

As well as taking part in drawing up legislation, the  Association will  also involve itself in State programmes regarding humanitarian policy; will work on educational programmes for the Ukrainian Language and work to develop national culture.

Professor Panchenko says that it is a natural wish for people from the same profession to join together, but in their case there is also a force majeure element. – “the unconstitutional Law on the Principles of State Language Policy and problems in general regarding humanitarian policy which must not be a platform for turning Ukraine

Yaroslav Hrihchuk, a writer from Dnipropetrovsk says that it is vital to gain standing for the Ukrainian language in the world. “Each Ukrainian should realize that they are Ukrainian, then all problems with language will disappear”. 

He says that it is evident in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast that Ukrainians lack this sense of identity. “Their parents were killed by famine, they don’t know who they are.  That’s the fear which is crippling the spirit of the nation”.

The teachers cited numerous problems including with textbooks which have dozens of mistakes and are full of texts which students can’t relate to.