Today, the Parliament of Ukraine considered and supported bill No. 9432 “On the use of the English language in Ukraine”, which establishes the status of the English language as the language of international communication in Ukraine.
The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine and the team of the BRDO Effective Regulation Office participated in the development of the document.
Why is this important?
Research by the Ministry of Digital showed that:
- only 45% of English language teachers know it at C level (which is the highest level of knowledge of the language for non-native speakers);
- 49% of the adult population of Ukraine do not know English at all;
- 56% of Ukrainians want to improve their knowledge of foreign languages.
What does the draft law provide for?
Candidates for the positions will be required to speak English:
- civil service category “A” (all positions of this category), as well as categories “B” and “B”, the list of which is established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine;
- heads of local state administrations, their first deputies and deputies;
- military servicemen of the officer ranks who are serving military service under a contract, the list of which is established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine;
- middle and senior police officers of the National Police of Ukraine, senior positions of other law enforcement agencies, senior positions of the civil protection service, the list of which is established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine;
- prosecutors;
- in tax and customs authorities, the list of which is established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine;
heads of economic entities of the state sector of the economy, the list of which is established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
In addition, the draft law provides for the use of the English language when interacting with foreigners in the work of units of emergency assistance to the population and when they cross the state border of Ukraine, as well as in the fields of education, culture, transport, and health care.
Also, according to the draft law, internet representations (in particular, websites) of state authorities and local self-government bodies, along with the version in the state language, must have an updated version in English.
The creation of appropriate conditions for the mastering of English by the citizens of Ukraine will contribute to the integration of Ukrainians into the European community, the formation of the subjectivity of Ukraine in the world globalization processes and the increase of the level of competitiveness of our state, the growth of its investment and tourist attractiveness. We welcome this decision of the Ukrainian Parliament and hope for the speedy application of the law in all areas of the country’s life.