From now on, students of the federal state of Hessen in Germany can choose to study Ukrainian as a foreign language. Our language received the status of the second foreign language in the region.
It is worth noting that Germany is a federal republic. Each of the sixteen regions (federal states) has its own parliament and government. Some laws in the country function at the national level, some – only at the regional level. In particular, the policy regarding school education is dictated by the local authorities in the federal states. Therefore, for example, summer vacations in different regions of Germany begin and end on different days.
Hesse will become the first German state to introduce Ukrainian as a second foreign language for schools.
The Minister of Culture of Hesse, Armin Schwartz, called such a decision “a clear sign of solidarity,” and the Land Minister for Foreign Affairs, Manfred Pentz, considers such a step a contribution to the preservation of the original Ukrainian culture.
“We don’t want Ukrainian refugees to forget their roots, we don’t want to cut them off from their homeland, we want to build a bridge so that they can later return to Ukraine,” Mr. Pentz notes.
The first schools in Hessen will offer students to choose a course of Ukrainian as a foreign language from the beginning of the new academic year. In 2024, the summer school holidays in the federal state will last from July 15 to August 23.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksiy Makeev, called the new educational proposal “recognition of Ukrainian as an important European language.”
“This will be a good example for all other regions of Germany,” the diplomat notes.
According to the Hessen Ministry of Culture, about 20,000 schoolchildren from Ukraine are currently studying in the region.
