Ukraine
2016 Report on the State of Citizenship and Human Rights Education in Europe
Questionnaire filled in by Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Q1 Would you agree that citizenship and human rights education is a means to address…
a) … violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism?
To a great extent
b) … integration of migrants and refugees?
To a great extent
c) … consequences of the economic crisis / austerity measures / social exclusion?
To a little extent
d) … the deficit of democratic participation of both vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups in society with the overall aim of building cohesive and equitable societies?
To a great extent
Q2 In your country, is priority given to…
a) … EDC/HRE at national government level
To a large extent
b) … EDC/HRE at local government level
To a fair extent
c) … EDC/HRE at educational institution level (school, college, university)
To a fair extent
d) … supporting training about EDC/HRE for teachers and school leaders
To a large extent
e) … making resources / materials about EDC/HRE available
To a fair extent
f) … making financial support for EDC/HRE available
To a little extent /p>
g) … supporting co-operation with NGOs, including youth organisations, in the field of EDC/HRE?
To a fair extent
Further comments
On 25 August, 2015 President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko approved by the Decree № 501/2015 the National Strategy on human rights aimed to improve the system of protection of rights and freedoms in Ukraine and to unite society around the understanding of the values of human rights and freedoms which are protected based on the principle of equality and non-discrimination. The adoption of the National Strategy on human rights in extremely difficult conditions demonstrates Ukraine's commitment to democratic and legal values. By this document protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms is defined as one of the top priorities along with the main tasks in the context of national security and domestic reform.
Q3 What is needed for citizenship and human rights education to receive a greater priority in your country?
a) Improved awareness of relevance of EDC/HRE for meeting the current challenges in our societies
To a fair extent
b) Availability of data on effectiveness of EDC/HRE with respect to meeting the current challenges in our societies, including examples of good practice
To a little extent
c) Advocacy by civil society organisations
To a fair extent
d) Advocacy by prominent personalities
To a fair extent
e) Increased visibility of EDC/HRE in the media coverage
To a fair extent
f) Political will
To a little extent
g) Political pressure from regional and international institutions
To a little extent
h) More resources allotted to EDC/HRE
To a fair extent
i) Other
Please specify “other”
Further comments
Attracting attention to the problems of civil society through mass media and opening wide-ranging discussions with the press concerning EDC/HRE, covering the best EDC/HRE practices in Ukraine.
Q4 In your country, are there any inconsistencies between...
a)…statements of principle (on the value of EDC/HRE in education for all people) and existing education policies?
Not at all
b)…EDC/HRE policies and their implementation in practice?
To a little extent
c)…EDC/HRE policies and other policy sectors?
Not at all
Please describe the existing inconsistences:
Supporting and financing the projects in EDC/HRE at local level (local self-government bodies).
Further comments
Q5 In your country, have strategic approaches / measures been taken to counter these inconsistencies, since 2012?
Yes
If yes, please specify:
National Strategy on human rights - Available at: http://www.president.gov.ua/documents/5012015-19364
The Concept of civic education in schools of Ukraine – Available at: http://www.ippo.edu.te.ua/files/gromad_osvita/resursy/39_stan_ta_pidhody.pdf
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
Q6 Have concrete measures/activities been taken to promote citizenship and human rights education in your country since 2012, in accordance with the objectives and principles of the Charter? (NB: this includes work done in the framework of the UN World Programme for Human Rights Education and other relevant international programmes and initiatives)
Yes
If yes, please specify:
Joint Programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe on “Education for Democratic Citizenship/Human Rights Education in 6 Eastern Partnership countries” (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine); “School for Democracy” project has been aimed at contributing to systemic reforms in the Ukrainian secondary education and development of democratic culture in schools and local communities. It has been carried out by joint efforts of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the EWC, with the support of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
Q7 Are there any measures/activities planned to promote citizenship and human rights education in your country, in accordance with the aims and objectives of the Charter?
Yes
If yes, please specify:
Among the measures of realization of the National Strategy on human rights the following have been defined:
- In collaboration with NGOs to realize the project of reforming the network of out-of-school organizations into the “Civic education centres”;
- to introduce into the content of general secondary education the subject “civic education”, which fully corresponds to the objectives of the Charter and combines political and legal, historic and patriotic, ecological and cultural study areas;
- to organize public discussion of the results of all-Ukrainian media-educational experiment and start the mass introduction of media-education in general secondary schools, by using fully its possibilities for increasing the level of media and information literacy, critical thinking of the school youth;
- to ensure the holding of the weeks of law and civic education, aimed at developing in children and youth the sense of one’s own dignity, realizing their rights and their place in the society, possibilities of their rights’ realization in combination with fulfilling duties and application of the recommendations of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory;
- to introduce the practice of volunteer work of university students in orphanages, children’s homes (the help in forming civic awareness of youth, in their integration into the society);
- to develop methodological recommendations on civic education organization in educational institutions;
- to work out methodological recommendations aimed at securing cooperation between school and family in forming an individual and citizen;
- to hold the Round table entitled “Civic education issues in the cycle of documentaries “Revolution of Dignity”.
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
Q8 Is the Charter…
a)…available in the language(s) of your country?
Yes
b)…available in the minority language(s) of your country?
Yes
c)…available on the website of the Ministry of Education or another relevant body?
No
d)… disseminated to the target audiences by other means?
Yes
If no, please explain why not:
We are planning to place it on our ministerial website after receiving the Ukrainian version in September.
Further comments
Q9 The Council of Europe has produced a number of tools and resources to promote and support citizenship and human rights education within and across the States Party to the European Cultural Convention. These tools and resources are available at: www.coe.int/en/web/edc/resources and at: www.coe.int/compass (Please indicate the usefulness, in your country, of the following Council of Europe tools and resources.)
a) Charter on EDC/HRE
Moderately used
b) Strategic Support for Decision-makers: Policy Tool for EDC/HRE
Extensively used
c) Democratic Governance of Schools
Extensively used
d) How all Teachers Can Support EDC/HRE: A Framework for the Development of Competencies
Extensively used
d) Quality Assurance of EDC in Schools
Extensively used
e) School-Community-University Partnerships for Sustainable Democracy: EDC in Europe and the US
Scarcely used
f) Living Democracy' Manuals for Teachers
Extensively used
g) A Compendium of Good Practice in HRE
Moderately used
h) Compass, manual for human rights education with young people
Extensively used
i) Compasito, manual for human rights education with children
Extensively used
j) Human Rights and Democracy Start with Us – Charter for All
Extensively used
k) Curriculum development and review for democratic citizenship and human rights education
Extensively used
l) Multimedia Material (ex. video “Beat Bullying”, series of cartoons “Democracy and Human Rights at School”, video “Corporal punishment at school : how two parents decided to change things”)
Scarcely used
m) “Freedom(s) - Learning activities for secondary schools on the case law of the European Court of Human Rights
Moderately used
Other (please specify: ______)
If these resources were useful, please specify:
These resources were useful and helped us: to understand the state and strategy of EDC/HRE, in relation to different parts of the educational process; to search for optimum ways of reacting to social problems in this sphere and bring effective experience to the target groups – school students, teachers, parents, secondary school administration, local community, mass-media, governmental and non-governmental institutions; to formulate professional requirements for all the participants of the educational process, including officials and local community.
If these resources were not useful, please specify:
Further comments
QUESTIONS ON SPECIFIC ARTICLES OF THE CHARTER
SECTION 1: GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 3. Relationship between education for democratic citizenship and human rights education
Q10 Is there a shared working definition of citizenship and human rights education in your country?
Yes
In case if there is no shared working definition of citizenship and human rights education, please explain why not:
Please provide the name of the term in English and in original language as well as its definition and indicate the references and/or web link.
Democratic citizenship – civic education. In Ukrainian – громадянська освіта; www.mon.gov.ua
SECTION 2: OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES
Article 5. Objectives and Principles
Q11 In your country, to what extent do education laws, policies, and strategic objectives explicitly refer to citizenship and human rights education
a) … in formal education at pre-primary, primary and secondary level?
Extensively
b) … in vocational education and training?
Moderately
c) … in higher education?
Moderately
d) … in the training of education personnel?
e) … in youth policy and non-formal education?
Moderately
In case if education laws, policies, and strategic objectives do refer explicitly to EDC/HRE, please specify:
The analysis of the legislative basis that we performed affirms that a secondary school has the possibility to introduce the principles of democratic environment in the education system. There is a legislative basis for students and parents to realize their own self-government in secondary schools. It is corroborated both by the provisions of laws regulating educational activities and by other statutory documents: Provision on a secondary school, Provision on the board of trustees, a Sample statute of a secondary school, etc.
In case if education laws, policies, and strategic objectives do not explicitly refer EDC/HRE, please explain why not:
SECTION 3: POLICIES
Article 6. Formal general and vocational education
Q12 In your country is education for democratic citizenship and human rights promoted as follows in schools and colleges:
a) specific subject matter – obligatory
b) specific subject matter – optional
c) cross-curricula approach
d) whole school approach
Please provide further details including web links where appropriate:
Further comments
According to the core curriculum for general secondary schools, the students have the possibility to study the following disciplines: “History of Ukraine” (5-11th grades), “Ethics” (5-6th grades), “Fundamentals of law” (9-10th grades), “Economics”, “An individual and the world” (10th grade), “An individual and society” (11th grade), “Fundamentals of philosophy” (10-11th grades), “Street law” (8-9th grades), “Law. Practical course” (9th grade), “Human rights” (10-11th grades), “Researching humanitarian law”, “Civic education” (10-11th grades), “We” (9-11th grades), “Fundamentals of economics” (10-11th grades), “Humanitarian law” (10-11th grades), “European choice of Ukraine” (special course in the 11th grade), “History of the native land” (special courses in the 8-11th grades), “An individual and the world” (11th grade), “Philosophy” (10-11th grades), “Fundamentals of consumer’s knowledge” (1-11(12th) grades). The best ways to form students’ civic competences are to introduce the EDC/HRE whole-school approach (according to the definition from the Council of Europe documents), meaning a systematic realization of the civic education content in various components of the educational process. These components include: courses, educational disciplines of the educational sphere “Social studies”, content and practice of other subjects, out-of-class work, school life and governance. In the process of acquiring the civic education content, proper conditions have been created in order to involve an individual in the system of social values, helping them to form systematic knowledge, basic capabilities of social communication and activities. At present, the civic education direction in the out-of-class work is realized through the following educational forms: organising social actions of Ukrainian school students “Citizen”, involving the local community in the organising and functioning of school clubs; organising school students’ self-governance; cooperating with the appropriate committees or services of local self-government; school students’ volunteering in children’s homes, kindergartens and helping the army; setting up and participating in children’s and youth organizations' activities.
Q13 If citizenship and human rights education is included in the curricula in your country, has it been subject to revision and updating since 2012 at...
a) … pre-primary education?
b) … primary school?
Yes
c) … lower secondary school (including vocational)?
Yes
d) … upper secondary school (including vocational)?
Yes
If no, please explain why not:
If yes, then what are/were the key challenges? How will they be / how were they overcome?
To what extent was the revision and updating process inclusive and participatory?
Further comments
Article 7. Higher education
Q14 To what extent is citizenship and human rights education provision promoted in higher education institutions in your country?
Moderately
If not at all or scarcely, please explain why:
If extensively, please explain why and provide examples:
Further comments
Article 8. Democratic governance
Q15 In your country, are there any education laws, policies and strategies that promote democratic governance in educational institutions, particularly schools, concerning…
a) … decision making procedures (e.g. governing bodies / school boards)?
Yes
b) … school culture / rules?
Yes
c) … pupil / student participation (e.g. school / student councils)?
Yes
d) … parental / family involvement in schools (e.g. governing bodies / school boards)?
Yes
e) …school / community links (in and out of school)?
Yes
If yes, please specify:
The Strategic advisory group at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has developed the Road Map of Educational Reforms for the period of 2015 – 2025. The document describes in detail the realization of educational reform in Ukraine. It contains description of over 200 system actions and measures which should be taken in order to reform the educational system of Ukraine. In particular, it is intended to introduce in the new version of the Law on Education / About general secondary education the provision about creating and introducing the National curriculum of pre-school and general secondary education. It will be a statutory document aimed at improving the learning outcomes of all school students, defining the content of education, its components (educational spheres, disciplines, courses, subjects) and interdisciplinary priorities, aims (outcomes) of completion of educational levels and consecutive national standards on the content of teaching and the students’ achievements at school (2015). In the 2nd chapter of the Road Map of Educational Reforms for the period of 2015 – 2025 “Content of education” the following tasks are stated: to develop the concept of teaching social studies and humanities aimed at creating a unified comprehensive national curriculum of civic education and the system of value orientation; to guarantee the improvement of civic education quality and opposition to xenophobia and cultural, ethnic, religious and gender intolerance.
If no, please explain why not:
Further comments
Article 9. Training
Q16 In your country, is there a provision for citizenship and human rights education in initial teacher education, continuing professional development and other types of training for…
a) … teachers?
Yes
b) … school leaders?
Yes
c) … other education staff?
Yes
d) … youth leaders (in and out of school)?
Yes
e) … teacher trainers / trainers of trainers?
Yes
f) … parents?
No
If yes, please specify:
If no, please explain why not:
If to some extent, please specify:
Further comments
Provide examples of good practice:
Article 10. Role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), youth organisations and other stakeholders
Q17 To what extent, in your country, is there co-operation and support between the government and the following organisations and groups that foster citizenship and human rights education?
a) Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
To a fair extent
b) Youth organisations
To a fair extent
c) Community groups
To a little extent
d) Parents' groups
To a little extent
e) Other (please specify: ______)
If not at all or to a little extent, please explain why:
If to a large extent, please explain the factors for success:
Provide examples of good practice:
In February-March 2015, Nova Doba organised civic education seminars in 20 regions of Ukraine, aimed at strengthening professional networks and communication, at supporting the process of mutual understanding and reconciliation in Ukrainian society. The trainers were deeply impressed by the desire of educators from both East and West Ukraine to communicate, to learn and understand the situation and their willingness to solve problems. The educators raised several issues and questions that they would like to work on: How to work with students arriving from war-torn regions? How to overcome the difficulties in relationships between students from different regions in one class? How to encourage a sense of positive identity and stimulate an integration process? What is the responsibility of teachers in this difficult period?
Further comments
Article 11. Criteria for evaluation
Q18 In your country, have criteria been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of citizenship and human rights education programmes?
No
Further information:
Please provide examples of how these criteria have been developed, reviewed and used:
To what extent have they been useful?
Provide examples of good practice:
Article 12. Research
Q19 In your country, to what extent has research been initiated and promoted on citizenship and human rights education to take stock of the current situation?
To a moderate extent
If not at all or to a little extent, please explain why:
What needs to be done to obtain stronger support for such research?
Further comments
Article 13. Skills for promoting social cohesion, valuing diversity and handling differences and conflict
Q20 In your country, to what extent are educational approaches and teaching methods promoted that enable pupils/students to acquire competences to…
a) … promote social cohesion?
To a large extent
b) … value diversity and equality (particularly between different faiths and ethnic groups)?
To a large extent
c) … settle disagreements and conflicts in a non-violent manner?
To a large extent
d) … combat all forms of discrimination and violence (especially bullying)?
To a large extent
If not at all or to a little extent, please explain why:
What needs to be done to encourage more active promotion of such educational approaches and teaching methods?
Further comments
SECTION 4: EVALUATION AND COOPERATION
Article 14. Evaluation and review
Q21 Has any action been taken or foreseen to evaluate strategies and policies undertaken in accordance with the aims and principles of the Charter?
Yes
If not, please explain why not:
If yes, please provide links to the relevant monitoring and evaluation reports:
What were the key conclusions?
Who takes part in the evaluation process?
Example of good practice:
Handbook on human rights for children: manual for teachers and trainers. Selection of visual materials to help introduce the meaning of fundamental human rights to junior audiences. The Publication is a supplement to “Handbook on human rights for children: manual for teachers and trainers”.
Further comments:
Article 15. Co-operation in follow-up activities
Q22 In your country, have any co-operation activities with other countries been organised or planned in pursuing the aims and principles of the Charter?
Yes
If not, please explain why not:
Example of good practice:
The OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine holds Second Annual Human Rights School for Children (3 June 2016). More than 60 school children from all over Ukraine participated in the Second Annual Human Rights School from 2 to 3 June 2016 in Odessa. The event is a joint initiative of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine and the Office of the Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights aimed at creating a human rights communication platform for children and youth to raise awareness of fundamental human rights and rights of the child, as well as mechanisms to protect them. The participants broadly discussed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and received copies of child-friendly editions of the document. The Office of the Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights presented informational human rights materials, developed jointly with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator, and provided guidance on major tools in human rights protection. Issues such as security and conflict prevention were also discussed. The training methodology was based on interactive techniques and included discussions, case studies, various exercises and games, quests and screenings of short films on human rights. Case studies from a series of handbooks on human rights for children, developed by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, were also presented. The Human Rights School has been held annually since 2015 and is part of a project aimed at improving legal education and promoting human rights education in Ukraine, implemented upon the request of the Education and Science Ministry and the Justice Ministry.
What is required to encourage such cooperation activities?
Further comments
Article 16. International and European co-operation
Q23 In your country, is there co-operation and collaboration on citizenship and human rights education with the following organisations / institutions?
a) Council of Europe (CoE)
Yes
b) United Nations system (UN) (including UNESCO and UN OHCHR)
Yes
c) Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
Yes
d) European Union (EU) (including European Commission)
Yes
e) Other international/ European organisations
Yes
Please specify 'Other international/ European organisations'
European Wergeland Centre
What are your expectations from such cooperation?
It is expected that such initiatives will lead to:
- deeper democratic culture at schools participating in the projects and their local communities
- increased participation of all stakeholders in decision making at school
- increased involvement of youth in public life
- increased use of inclusive, participatory and transparent practices in school management and in classroom • enhanced social cohesion across different regions of Ukraine
- higher awareness of human rights, rule of law and democratic participation among educators and school students
To what extent are these expectations met?
How could such cooperation be made more useful?
Further comments
Q24 In what ways is / can the Charter review process be of support to the countries? [Please rank from 1 (not useful)- 5 (very useful)]
a) An encouragement / motivation for stronger action and higher quality
4
b) An opportunity to promote good practice
5
c) A support tool for dialogue with other countries and within the country
4
d) Access to expertise from other countries and from international institutions
5
e) Other
Please specify other
Q25 What are your expectations from the Council of Europe? [Please indicate the current level of satisfaction from 1 (not useful) - 5 (very useful) for each expectation]
a) An encouragement / motivation for stronger action and higher quality
4
b) Opportunities for sharing and cooperation with other countries
5
c) Provision of a shared framework of reference / common standards
5
d) Impetus for dialogue and cooperation within the country
4
e) Authoritative encouragement to ensure respect of commitments
4
f) Technical advice / technical assistance
5
g) Access to the network of key actors in the member states through the Committee of Ministers, Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of local and regional authorities and the INGO Conference and the HR Commissioner as well as various monitoring bodies (such as ECRI) as a means of raising visibility of EDC/HRE
5
h) Other
Please specify other
Q26 What are the key challenges to the promotion and development of citizenship and human rights education in your country? (Please indicate the level of impact of each challenge)
a) Lack of priority among decision makers (other areas given more priority)
Medium impact
b) Lack of awareness/interest/support among education professionals
High impact
c) Impact of the economic crisis/recession
High impact
d) Reduction/cuts in funding
High impact
e) Decentralised education system
Low impact
f) Changing political context (e.g. change of government)
Low impact
g) Reduction of support networks (NGOs, parent and youth groups etc.)
Medium impact
h) Lack of public interest and support
Medium impact
i) Lack of media interest and support
Medium impact
j) Lack of support from European organisations (Council of Europe, EU etc.)
High impact
k)Other
Please specify other
Further comments (half a page maximum):
FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONNAIRE
There are plans to repeat this questionnaire in 5 years’ time to get a further sense of the progress of the States Party to the European Cultural Convention in pursuing the aims and principles for citizenship and human rights education promoted by the present Charter. It is also proposed to design the questionnaire focusing on particular areas.
Q27 What particular areas should the follow-up Questionnaire focus on for the next review cycle? (Please indicate the level of priority for each area)
a) Formal general (pre-primary, primary and secondary school) and vocational education
High
b) Higher education
High
c) Pre-school education
High
d) Democratic governance of educational institutions
High
e) Training (initial and on-going)
High
f) Role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), youth organisations and other stakeholders
High
g) Criteria for evaluation
Medium
h) Research
Medium
i) Social cohesion, valuing diversity and handling differences and conflict
High
j) Evaluation and review
Medium
k) International and European co-operation
High
l) Other
Please specify other
Q28 How can this questionnaire be improved in order to ensure that the data collection is meaningful and useful in terms of encouraging further progress in citizenship and human rights education?
Q29 To what extent the process of preparation of the reply to this questionnaire was constructive and participatory? [Please rank from 1 (poor)- 5 (excellent)]
Further comments:
FOCUS GROUP 2016: PARLIAMENTARIANS
NB: The questions below are to be addressed to the Education Commission in the National Parliament or other similar bodies
Please indicate which body has been contacted
Q30 Would you agree that citizenship and human rights education is a means to address…
a) … violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism?
b) … integration of migrants and refugees?
c) … consequences of the economic crisis / austerity measures / social exclusion?
d) … the deficit of democratic participation of both vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups in society with the overall aim of building cohesive and equitable societies?
Further comments:
Q31 What legislation has been adopted in the last 5 years or is in preparation, with a view to support and promote citizenship and human rights education?
Q32 What are the thematic areas of education of particular concern to your Committee in this respect?
Q33 Do you have any further comments to make not provided elsewhere? If so, please use the space below.
Q34 Further comments on citizenship and human rights education in the country:
Other contributors contacted by the respondent, including representatives of:
1. Ministries:
2. Research institutions:
National academy of pedagogical science Civic education institute, National University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy”.
3. Education professionals:
4. Civil society organisations:
“Helsinki union”, The Centre of educational monitoring Kharkiv Human Rights Group.
a. Teachers organisations:
Association of School Principals of Ukraine (ASPU) All-Ukrainian Association of Teachers of History, Civic Education and Social Studies “Nova Doba” Charitable organisation “Teachers for Democracy and Partnership”.
b Youth organisations
European youth parliament of Ukraine
c Children organisations
d Parents organisations
5. National human rights institutions
Tkuma Ukrainian Institute for Holocaust Studies, Ukrainian Legal Aid Foundation.
6. Parliaments
7. Local and regional authorities
All-Ukrainian information and methodological centre “Debate”
8. International institutions
Council of Europe, European Wergeland Centre, OSCE.
9. Medias
10. Others
