UGCC Head: Ukraine needs educational reform
Speaking about the development of private education in Ukraine, the Primate of UGCC stated that in the legal framework of Ukraine only two types of ownership coexisted: state and private, while the private, in particular, provided full funding by its founder. That is why the number of private (including religious-based organizations) secondary schools is only 1% of the total population (number of students in them - 0.5% of the total) and private kindergartens - respectively 1.8% (number of preschoolers in they - 1% of the total). According to him, after many years of cooperation between representatives of different churches and MPs of Ukraine (including the current Minister of Education Mr. Lilia Hrynevych) in 2015 finally managed to pass the Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on the establishment of educational institutions by religious organizations,” which granted to religious organizations the right to establish educational institutions of different levels. “A special feature of the formation of Christian education in Ukraine was that this process has become a platform for the emergence of fruitful interfaith dialogue in our country,” the patriarch believes. The need to create appropriate conditions for the Christian education of young generation rallied Ukrainian Christian denominations around the common goal. In addition, this great goal intensified dialogue between church and state, showed the points of contact where church and state have common interests and cooperation prospects.” Head of the Church said that the leading role in the formation of interfaith dialogue and a system of church-state relations in modern Ukraine is played by the All-Ukraine Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (AUCCRO). It was reported by the Information Department of the UGCC.
The reforms in which Ukraine is experiencing the greatest need include the education reform. First of all, it is required for education and democratization and is crucial to improve the conditions of work, including Catholic schools. This position was outlined by Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Patriarch Sviatoslav on October 28, 2016, during the 88 General Assembly of Catholic Education in Europe Committee (CEEC) in Ukraine.
