During the war, when in many schools of Ukraine children and teachers organize aid to the military, weave camouflage nets, collect humanitarian aid and carry out patriotic activities, a scandalous incident occurred in the capital’s school No. 309. At the celebratory concert, students presented a play in which a civilian beats a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The video of this scene quickly spread across the network, causing a wave of indignation among Ukrainians.
Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Oksen Lisovyi on Facebook condemned this incident, calling it shameful and unacceptable. He emphasized that in the third year of a full-scale war, such performances show an open contempt for the military, who risk their lives every day for the sake of the country.
“The video, in which students of a Kyiv school act out a skit in which they show open contempt for the “military”, is shameful and unacceptable in the third year of a full-scale invasion and the 11th year of the war.
He called the principal of the school with a demand to conduct an internal investigation and collect explanations from everyone who participated in this act. I personally find it wild that none of those who participated in the preparation and direct participation in this scene felt resistance.
A thorough official investigation should be conducted, and appropriate decisions should be made regarding all those involved. No one has the right to show disrespect to those who protect the country at the cost of their lives and health.” – wrote Lisovyi.
It should be noted that the Darnytsia Police Department of Kyiv has already started an investigation into the incident. However, the director of the educational institution expressed her position only after mass publicity and the intervention of officials. On her Facebook page, she apologized to anyone who may have been offended by the skit, and announced that an internal investigation had been conducted. The manager stated that the beating of the soldier was not included in the official program of the holiday concert, and the teachers’ supervision was insufficient. She also emphasized that the students were not aware of the consequences of such a “joke”.
“I, the director of school 309, with a sense of deep responsibility, am addressing the community in connection with the incident that occurred during the school event. During the performance that took place on Friday, the students added an improvised scene without agreeing to the script, which caused a righteous indignation in the society. This situation is unacceptable, especially in the conditions when our country has been confronting for 11 years Russian aggression, and thanks to the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, we have the opportunity to educate children in a relatively peaceful environment.
As the head of the institution, I bear personal responsibility for the organization of the educational process and educational work, so I sincerely apologize to everyone who was affected or offended by this situation. Especially to our military personnel, who risk their lives every day for the sake of our freedom, and their families, for whom this scene became a painful and unacceptable signal.
We have already conducted an official investigation, collected explanations from all those involved and informed the relevant authorities. The conducted investigation proved:
– the improvised skit was not part of the script of the event;
– pedagogical control over performances during the event turned out to be insufficient;
– the students who created the skit did not realize the deep consequences of such an act, considering it a joke without a negative context.
At the same time, we understand that it is not enough to simply identify the cause. The situation proved the need for in-depth systematic work with the information hygiene of students and teachers, because, unfortunately, toxic narratives that devalue the role of our army and state institutions are often promoted in the modern information space.
We have already planned a cycle of media literacy lessons, meetings with the military, and also strengthened control over the preparation of educational events. We are open to cooperation with parents, the public and everyone who is ready to help us educate young people in the spirit of patriotism.
We are hurt by this situation, but we do not hide the problems, we do not abdicate responsibility, but we act so that this does not happen again. Our school has always been and remains an institution that fosters respect for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, patriotism, and gratitude for the peace that our soldiers protect.” – wrote school principal.
These explanations raise many questions. How could such a scene be shown in front of an audience if the school always has rehearsals before concerts? How could teachers not know what the children are cooking? The organization of such an event requires coordination of the scenario, and therefore it is hard to believe that none of the adults noticed the content of this performance.
The director said that additional educational measures will be introduced at the school, military personnel will be invited to talk with students, and control over future events will be strengthened. However, the situation demonstrates a much deeper problem – a lack of responsibility among teachers and an insufficient level of control over the content of educational activities. This case became an alarming signal that some educational institutions do not pay enough attention to the formation of patriotic values and respect for the military who defend the country.
The war continues, and Ukrainian society must be united in its support for those who give their lives for independence. Any cases of disrespect to the military must be dealt with harshly. The school management’s excuses sound at least strange, because during the preparation of the event it was impossible not to know what the students were preparing. Responsibility for such situations should be borne not only by children, but also by adults who have allowed such things to happen on the stage of an educational institution.
