Last week UWC Task Force on labour migration addressed Serhiy Shkarlet, Acting Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, calling the Ministry to introduce remote knowledge assessment in distance learning for children of the Ukrainian labour migrants who are temporary or permanent residents abroad, as well as to set up and manage final knowledge assessments for extern students of the Ukrainian International School.
Today over 2000 extern students, children of Ukrainian labour migrants living in the EU, have not had their final exams and have no information on the 2019/20 school year end of term procedures.
On June 18, 2020, the Law of Ukraine on 2019/20 School Year End of Term Procedures came into force. This law frees some students who have completed their secondary education from final exams, national knowledge assessment and Standardized External Testing, but obliges those participating in the university admissions campaign in 2020 to pass SET.
Unfortunately, the Law had omitted any special procedures designated for children of the Ukrainian labour migrants who permanently or temporarily reside abroad and attend educational centres in the Ukrainian diaspora communities as extern students of Ukrainian International School (UIS) and should receive a national academic certificate.
Due to COVID-19 international air travel options remain limited, and entry to the EU countries, in general, is not permitted for the citizens of Ukraine, except for special categories. Therefore, the UIS assessment committee is unable to conduct final knowledge assessments for students outside of Ukraine.
UWC urges the Ministry of Education and Science to amend the regular End of Term Procedures for public schools in Ukraine and introduce distance knowledge testing for the UIS students.
“Supporting education for Ukrainian children abroad is a priority for UWC Labour Migration Task Force. Amid the pandemic, distance knowledge assessment is the only tool to help Ukrainian labour migrants’ children finish their school year successfully and plan their future”, – stated Paul Grod, UWC President.
