Despite calls from many civic institutions, the new Minister of Education has announced the introduction of a three-tier system which introduces much more scope for corruption

The Deputy Prime Minister on Humanitarian Affairs does, however, say that school leaving certificates will form a third of the assessment, which can in no way allay the concerns of those hoping for one external exam to ensure equal access to higher education

If the model for entry proposed by the new Minister of Education is brought into effect, it will be impossible for the public to monitor the process for applying to institutes since it is impossible to monitor all stages of the process (independent testing, tests for institutes, marks in the school certificate)

The Administration of the Ukrainian Catholic University is appealing to the education community in Ukraine to come out publicly about the situation in education following the appointment of Dmytro Tabachnyk as Minister of Education and Science

OPORA and the Committee of Voters of Ukraine are outraged over statements made by the Deputy Prime Minister V. Semynozhenko on introducing double standards during the application period for getting into higher educational institutes this year

The new government could already this year change the rules for entering Ukrainian higher educational institutes. Students will again be accepted according to the results of exams, certificates and testing. Civic organizations are clear in their opposition

The Institute of National Remembrance are creating a concept framework for school textbooks on Ukrainian history intended to provide a balanced account of history and encourage students to think, while reconciling different parts of the country

The antics of various members of the rightwing party VO “Svoboda” have long made many of us wince, however the behaviour of one Lviv Regional Council member Iryna Farion at a kindergarten warrants more than just disgust, but very serious measures from the authorities.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has presented the results of the study Comprehensive Assessment of Child Trafficking, Child Prostitution and Pornography in Ukraine

Over the first nine months of 2009 there were 8 thousand less street kids taken off the streets than in 2008. Reasons include migrant workers returning to Ukraine and the work of the social services with “problem” parents

Details on the actual amendments, as well as commentary from the President of the Internet Association of Ukraine, and a representative of the Service for the Protection of Children

The Internet Association of Ukraine had earlier criticized this draft law for not-complying with European and international standards, and because of the technical impossibility of implementing its processions

Ukraine’s Accounting Chamber notes that the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry for the Family, Youth and Sport did not ensure and timely and full implementation of measures to reform the system of social protection for orphans and children deprived of parent care through the principle of child-linked funding

Lviv law enforcement agencies are to check cases where orphans and children deprived of parental care have become victims of flat swindlers

14 civic organizations have just presented their Alternative Report on the Implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child highlighting many problems inadequately addressed in the official report

The Women’s Human Rights Centre “La Strada – Ukraine” has begun an Internet hotline at www.internetbezpeka.org.ua as part of a number of measures within the programme “Understanding and acting together against the sexual exploitation of children”

The second reading of the draft law “On amendments and additions to some legislative acts (on combating the spread of child pornography)” is likely in the near future. The Head of the Internet Association of Ukraine Tetyana Popova is, like many, critical of the bill

Specialists point to serious flaws in the new draft law passed as a base due to major areas of non-compliance with norms of European and world legislation in this sphere, as well as the technical impossibility of implementing a number of its provisions

The Commission on Journalist Ethics has issued a statement in which it strongly criticizes the media outlets that published names, photos and medical documents about alleged victims of sexual abuse.

The child sex abuse scandal exploded onto the national scene on Oct. 13. The children involved were named by some media and exposed to public scrutiny. They became pawns in guerrilla political warfare that also possibly spoiled any criminal investigation.