Kiev. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – January 19, 2021 – Society
Children’s Ombudsman Mykola Kuleba stated that Ukraine wants to stop the reform of boarding schools.
This is a draft order of the Cabinet of Ministers “On Amendments to the National Strategy for Reforming the System of Institutional Care and Upbringing of Children for 2017-2026”, which was submitted to the office of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights for approval.
According to Kuleba, the adoption of this document will actually stop the reform of boarding schools.
“For me, this means the Government’s desire to leave everything as it was before, instead of focusing on the development of affordable educational, medical and social services, strengthening and preserving the family for the child.
That is, there is a problem in the family with a child (there is no service available, poverty, unwillingness to raise a child, etc.) – take the child to a boarding school! “, – Kuleba is indignant.
Read also : http://Macron Is Visiting Ukraine!
What does the document offer?
“Postpone” until 2026 the termination of placement in boarding schools for children under 3 years of age, which was provided by the strategy until 2020, as one of the key priorities.
“Institutional care has the most traumatic effect on children of this age, as numerous studies show!
In Ukraine in 2019, 1,639 children under the age of 3 were placed in boarding schools.
I am absolutely sure that the state has enough resources to create proper conditions for these children and prevent them from entering institutions, ” Kuleba said.
The decree excludes 70% of boarding schools in the education system from the reform – these are special and specialized institutions that include a boarding house.
“In fact, the reform is narrowed only to orphanages (the reform is postponed until 2026), orphanages (for children with severe disabilities) and orphanages of the education system (in which as of 01.01.2020 there are 1,057 children left , which is less than 1% of the total number of children in boarding schools) “, – explains the children’s ombudsman.
As of January 1, 2020, there were 34,947 children in 286 special educational institutions, of which 20,837 not only studied but also lived there. There were 22,273 children in 79 specialized educational institutions, of which 13,611 lived there.
The Children’s Ombudsman emphasizes that the reform applies only to children living in institutions, when the educational institution assumes the function of maintenance, care and upbringing.
“The reform is not aimed at eliminating special education institutions.
Those who say that the strategy is designed to destroy such institutions are simply manipulating.
The future of boarding schools according to the strategy is to turn them into schools without round-the-clock maintenance of children. As it happened in all civilized countries , “Kuleba explains.
The changes to the strategy proposed by the Ministry of Social Policy actually take us back to the Soviet past, when a child with a disability had no choice but to live in a boarding school without parents and be isolated from society, the children’s ombudsman said.
Kuleba advises to watch a video about how “sweet” children live in boarding schools.
The children’s ombudsman also mentions the story of Kirill Nevdokha, a graduate of a special boarding school.
“Cyril has repeatedly said that he believes that he has received a sentence of fate – 10 years in a special boarding school.” I went through the “circle of hell” to have the right to get a full general secondary education in a regular group at the age of 20 ” Cyril ” – Kuleba notes.
