Kiev. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – February 12, 2021 – Education
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine supports the need for dialogue between the state and the religious community to further improve state-religious relations, in particular in the field of education. This was emphasized by the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Serhiy Shkarlet during a meeting with members of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, which took place on February 11.
The Minister noted the important role in ensuring such a dialogue through the activities of the Public Council for Cooperation with Churches and Religious Organizations at the Ministry of Education and Science.
“The spiritual realm is unifying for all people. The Ministry of Education and Science is open to all those who bring morality to society and direct their efforts to the unification of Ukraine, “Serhiy Shkarlet said.
Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Supreme Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych, Chairman of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations Sviatoslav Shevchuk thanked the Ministry of Education and Science for the fact that the draft Standard Curriculum for 5-9 grades of secondary schools provides moral orientation in 5-6 classes of all schools of Ukraine.
According to him, the All-Ukrainian Council, expressing a common position, petitioned for the need to introduce such discipline. The Ministry took into account the position of civil society.
Minister Serhiy Shkarlet, in turn, noted that the choice of specific model programs for such teaching, in accordance with the law, is the prerogative of the general secondary education institutions and parents.
I want to emphasize that the Ministry of Education and Science does not propose to make “Christian ethics” mandatory. In the project of the Standard educational program, the discipline “Ethics” is offered.
The project itself is prepared to meet the State Standard of Basic Secondary Education, which will be implemented in 2022 as a continuation of the reform of the “New Ukrainian School”. Each school on the basis of the Standard educational program will be able to form different options for teaching this subject.
In my opinion, as the schoolgirl’s father, our children should be brought up in respect for each other, have certain ethical norms of behavior, “said Serhiy Shkarlet.
In addition, the representatives of the VRCiRO noted the active work of the commissions for state recognition of documents on higher spiritual education, scientific degrees, and academic titles issued by institutions of higher spiritual education.
During the meeting the issues of the commission on anti-discrimination examination and the order of its formation, the need to take into account the peculiarities of higher theological institutions during the state licensing of their activities. The importance of ensuring the functioning of ethno-confessional educational institutions, ensuring compliance with the law “money per student” state funding of private general secondary education institutions, including those founded by religious organizations, as well as other issues.
The parties also discussed the preparation and signing of a Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Education and Science and the VRCiRO.
1,809 schools with more than a million students modernized food units in 2020, for which funds from the state budget were directed for the first time. This became possible thanks to the reform of school nutrition, which is being implemented on the initiative of the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.
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