“A free person can be prohibited from speaking the language he or she wants outside of class only in prison.” Buzhansky reacts to Pipa’s language initiative

In Ukraine, especially during the war, the language issue continues to be the subject of active discussions. The topic of language remains one of the key ones in the formation of national identity and social life, because it is the Ukrainian language defined by the Constitution as the state language. However, in some cases, proposals aimed at strengthening the position of the Ukrainian language meet with resistance and cause controversy. One of such initiatives was the proposal of People’s Deputy Nataliya Pipa to ban communication in Russian during school breaks, which caused a negative reaction from her colleague, Verkhovna Rada deputy Maksym Buzhanskyi.
Verkhovna Rada deputy from the “Servant of the People” faction, Maksym Buzhanskyi, categorically opposed the ban on communication in a non-Ukrainian language during school breaks, proposed by deputy Nataliya Pipa (the “Voice” faction). That’s what he’s about reported in your Telegram channel.
“It would be nice to write bars on the windows right away, because a free person can be forbidden to communicate outside of class in the language they want, probably only in prison. It is also illegal, because prison, in terms of ideas, is a deprivation of liberty, not common sense, but this is Pipa, it’s ridiculous to expect common sense from her.” – emphasized the people’s deputy.
In addition, in his opinion, the language bill is also aimed at worsening the dialogue with Hungary. Buzhanskyi believes that Hungarians can block aid to Ukraine from the EU, referring to the law that “forbids schoolchildren to communicate in Hungarian during breaks.”
“The bill itself, in particular, is clearly aimed at torpedoing our dialogue with Hungary, which will once again be happy to block aid from the EU, referring to Pipa’s ban on communicating in Hungarian at the exchange.” – wrote the people’s deputy.
Buzhansky also spoke about punishing children for speaking in Russian:
“It’s not entirely clear how exactly Pipa plans to punish children for speaking Russian, Polish, Hungarian and Romanian among themselves? What are the ideas? Jurisprudence, robbing parents with fines, humiliating them with boards of shame, or something else that is difficult for me to imagine.”
We will remind you that Council member Natalya Pipa (“The Voice”) proposes to ban communication in Russian during school breaks. This is what she is about wrote on his Facebook page.
“According to the results of the 2023-2024 monitoring of the State Education Quality Service of Ukraine and the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, only 41% of students communicate with each other exclusively in Ukrainian during lessons and breaks. In order to change this, I am registering a draft law that obliges to speak Ukrainian at recess, in the school yard, in the stadium and on the entire school territory.” – she informed.
According to her, the draft law submitted by her introduces the concept of “Ukrainian-speaking environment” into the Law “On Education” and obliges founders, managers, and employees of educational institutions to create and maintain a Ukrainian-speaking environment. According to the legislative initiative, teachers are prohibited from switching to Russian during breaks, in the cafeteria, and in private communication on the school grounds, as they are “still at work.” Also, teachers and principals will be allowed to make comments when they hear schoolchildren speak Russian, and encourage them to speak Ukrainian.
“In fact, there are several reasons why change is needed:
- obvious reasons that have rather unpleasant consequences – pressure on Ukrainian-speaking children, conflicts over language and bullying;
• And there are more pragmatic reasons: children who do not know Ukrainian well in the first grade already have difficulties in school, fall behind in reading, learn the material worse. Later, they have worse results on tests, VET/NMT and have worse opportunities for admission and work in the future.
Of course, there is a problem that in some families parents and children speak Russian. I encourage such parents to communicate with their children in Ukrainian, to follow their own example, because this will make it easier for them to study at school, take exams, and increase the child’s chances of success in passing the NMT.
Therefore, it is important to increase the number of environments in which the child will communicate in Ukrainian. It is very important that the use of the Ukrainian language does not end with 45 minutes of the lesson. We have to get rid of this conditional rule in the heads of educators, students and parents: “the bell rang – you can use any language” (and we understand that this one is Russian for some reason). A new rule must be formed: “public and public places – in the state language.”
The submitted draft law introduces the concept of “Ukrainian-speaking environment” into the Law “On Education” and obliges founders, managers, and employees of educational institutions to create and maintain a Ukrainian-speaking environment.
What does this mean for teachers?
Do not switch to Russian during breaks, in the cafeteria, in private communication on the school grounds – because you are still at the workplace. Also, teachers and principals can hold educational events, encourage students to communicate in Ukrainian and make comments when they hear children speaking Russian.
What does this mean for parents?
Parents of students are obliged to be involved in the creation and maintenance of a Ukrainian-speaking environment in the educational institution.
Also, the Cabinet of Ministers and central executive authorities will be required to develop an effective system for measuring children’s speech skills. I hope for the support of both parents and educators – we must unite for the sake of our children.
The draft law is in the process of registration. All the details will be available later, as soon as the document is published on the website of the Verkhovna Rada.” Pipa said.