Multilingual education in Ukraine (MLEd)
Multilingualism has been conceived and practiced as a tool for dialogue, building capacity and performance around the world, and has proven particularly relevant in multi-ethnic societies in need of dialogue and reconciliation. Following several positive experiences in the former Soviet region, and an expression of interest on the side of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, PATRIR has engaged since 2014 on an initiative to assess the context and later to pilot a multilingual education project (MLE) in three Ukrainian regions: Odessa, Chernivtsi and Transcarpathia.
Upon confirmation of interest in this initiative by the main stakeholders in Ukraine, the objectives were set as three-fold:
- Ensure capacities for quality education
- Develop inter-community understanding, interaction and interdependence
- Improve social cohesion and reduce tensions, with a first year focused on piloting and capacity building
Outputs
Multilingual education in multicultural regions: Needs and expectations
Мультилингвальное образование в мультикультурных регионах: потребности, ожидания
Methodical recommendations for the development of multilingual education in educational institutions of Ukraine
Методичні рекомендації з розвитку багатомовної освіти у навчальних закладах України
Activity plan for Pilot project on multilingual education development in Ukrainian schools
Activities
During this first year, several consultations took place in all regions, regional coordination mechanisms were set up and capacity building included the creation of a set of resources on MLE, a set of methodological recommendations for implementation of the MLE programmes in schools, and training of a group of about 30 teachers and educators in basic pedagogy of multilingual education. Additionally the project included an assessment of the class environment in the selected schools, the close monitoring of the changes that the MLE programme is enabling at school level and a video documentary on the experience of setting up an MLE system in a multicultural yet volatile environment in Ukraine.
Target group
- Nine piloting educational institutions in the selected regions of Ukraine (Transcarpathia, Chernivtsi and Odessa) including the teachers and educators
- Students from the selected institutions
- Families and communities formed around the schools and kindergartens
- Coordination body at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (Department of General, Secondary and Preschool Education and the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine)
- 3 regional coordinators (from Regional Education Inspectorates and Local Departments of Education in Trascarpathia, Chernivtsi and Odessa)
- NGOs (Foundations for Freedom, Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research (UCIPR), Center for Social Research)
- Higher Education Institutions training teachers (Universities, Institutes for Advanced (post-graduate) Training)
- National and international specialists in education, multilingualism and social research
Donorship
If you want to know more, please write an email to: [email protected].
