May is ending and this means that in our country from the both sides of the demarcation line time of last rings, exams and proms has come. This year “exam” will be not only for graduates of schools and universities. It will be for hall “system of the education” of pseudo-countries “LPR” and “DPR”. informator.lg.ua tried to find out if “Luhansk republic” might claim on the positive rating of its, bless the mark, system of the education.
Let’s note that current school year began in Luhansk training institutions in a hard and difficult conditions on a month later than in Ukraine, on October 1. For that moment new-created “Ministry of education of “LPR” reassign for itself Luhansk schools. Loyal to “new power” authority begin to rule the captured universities and colleges. A lot of training institutions suffered in time of shellings and needed repair. A lot of schools didn’t have heating, there also were a problems with breaks of electricity. It was clear that it’s impossible to build some relationships with Ministry of Education of Ukraine for “young republic”. Future graduates were worried about their prospects — what certificates and diplomas will give newly created “ministry”? Where the can enter with such a documents? There weren’t any clear answers for a long time.
They base the External Independent Testing on…
Nearly 4,5 thousands of Luhansk pupils finish school at 2015. According to words of acting “minister of education of “LPR” Ihor Horhanov, all of them will get the certificates of “LPR’. Such documents allow to enter into universities and colleges on a territory of Luhansk and Donetsk “people’s republics”.
Ukrainian Ministry are not going to recognize this documents. Domestic officials of the Ministry of Education of different levels made such a proclamations repeatedly.
At the same time Luhansk pupils have a possibility to join Ukrainian university by results of single exam entered this year.
Till the 2015 from 2008 Ukrainian graduates separately passed the graduation exams and separately the External Independent Testing (EIT), necessary to entering the university or college. Now there is only single exam which is graduate and admission at the same time.
On December 2014 Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment alarmed, informing, that graduates from “LPR” and “DPR” couldn’t register for passing the EIT, if they don’t remove into training institutions, registered on controlled territory. It’s important to remind that EIT combined with school graduate exams. This means that registration on a testing must be done through the school.
This means to pass EIT graduates of schools located on occupied territories must get the document about education in any Ukrainian school by externally or using distance studying.
It’s not so simple to realize this practically — not all graduates had the opportunity to go on a controlled territory for a forming the necessary documents. Some officials tried to make this procedure more simple. So, in March the Department of Education and Science of Donetsk Regional State Administration allowed to pupils from uncontrolled territories to transfer on external studies by e-mail. Pupils from graduate classes can transfer in training
institutions on the controlled territory of Donetsk region without personal presentation of documents. They can do it from March 2015.
Except this, the term of giving the documents for taking part in EIT was continued till April 20 special for graduates from occupied territories of Donbas. Also, they will pass the exam on Ukrainian language and literature not like all other pupils in April, it will be passed during the additional session of EIT on 9th and 27th of June.
“I know the occasion when child visited two schools in the same time. It was the idea of his parents. One school was in occupied Luhansk, the second — in free Stanitsa Luhanska. I can not judge about number of children in “LPR” who decided to pass EIT. They and their parents prefer not to advertise this decision. Also, I know, that the order is spreaded not to miss up graduates through the block-posts and checkpoints of “LPR” on a territory of Ukraine” — tells our interlocutress — the teacher of high school of one of Luhansk schools.
Today we can talk about the situation, when not every child will get the certificate of secondary education of Ukrainian sample.
Ukrainian pupils began to pass EIT in April. Till that moment some Luhansk and Donetsk graduates simply did not have time to issue a certificate of secondary education as an external student. Financial problems become the main reason of denial to pass the EIT for a big number of inhabitants of occupied territories . It’s very hard to move out constantly on a free territories, because it’s enough expensive. That’s why a lot of parents of graduates, with whom we can talk, refused of this idea. Some of them hope that their children can pass the EIT next year and then the will enter somewhere, but another part of parents considers that “young republic” will tune everything and their children will study wherever they want.
Let’s go in Russia on 3 letters…
During all last year functionaries of “Ministry of Education of “LPR” negotiate with Russian “colleagues”, hoping to achieve for graduates of Luhansk schools the right to pass the Unified State Exam (USE) of RF on their territory.
Russian USE is the state exam, which all pupils (without exceptions) pass from 2009 on hall territory of that country.
“This means, that certificate of “LPR” unequivocally accepted by all educational institutions on a territory of republic on a today’s situation. Namely this document give a right to child to enter every university of Russia, with possibility to be enrolled on a budget” — told not so long ago Acting Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the «republic» Vasiliy Nikitin on the air of “State TV and radio company of “LPR”.
However, according to words of another “functionary” of “young country” — Acting Minister of Education Ihor Horhanov, child must become a Russian pupil to get the school certificate of Russian’s sample. This procedure needs passing of the external studies, because there is a big difference between studying programs of “LPR” and RF. After passing of all academic difference in one of schools in the most close regions of RF, pupil must write a composition, which will become the access to USE. Only after that graduate can choose subjects of state exam and pass them.
Passing all these «circles of hell» the graduate of Luhansk school will get the possibility to pretend on a place in Russian university on a par with Russian graduates.
Graduates and their parents weren’t informed about passing the academic difference till the last moment by functionaries of “Ministry of Education of “LPR”. Maybe they seemed it to be so obvious, that this situation doesn’t need to be mentioned once again. Also, a lot of Luhansk graduates and their parents didn’t expect that studying programs and test items will have so a big difference from programs of Luhansk schools. This fact caused outrage in like pupils themselves and also in their parents. It’s practically impossible to learn studying program for the remaining time.
“Not so long ago pupils passed “test USE” in Luhansk schools. It was a real shock for children and their parents, because RF programs are so different from ours, that chances to pass the exam for biggest part practically equal to zero, — tells Luhansk teacher — This resulted to decreasing of number of desirous to pass USE in Rostov region. I think bravely that Russian certificate ultimately can get even less people than Ukrainian”.
Tribute should be paid for such Luhansk functionaries, if graduates, wishing to pass Ukrainian tests, get some different problems, for desirous to do the same, but in “brotherly” Russia “government” is organizing the removal of enrollees, providing transport and attendants.
Except passing the USE on a general grounds, Luhansk graduates also have an opportunity to enter in a row of Russian universities by “quotas”. Appropriate statement made not so long ago Minister of Education and Science of RF Dmitry Livanov.
“We make the decision to create additional conditions for light passing of enrollees of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in view of the extremely difficult humanitarian situation, which formed on the south-east of Ukraine. 11 universities create additional budget place. All of them are located in neighboring to Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Extra quotas were also allocated to accept our compatriots of south-east of Ukraine” — claimed Minister. The list of universities and additional information can be found on a site of Ministry of Education of RF.
Recognized diplomas in the unrecognized republics
According to data of Luhansk military-civil administration, this year from universities of “LPR” will graduate 3800 Bachelors and Masters. In a peacetime Luhansk universities graduate 10 000 of people every year.
The situation in “institutions of higher education” of Luhansk, made by squatting on a base of state universities of Ukraine, set quite a difficult.
From the beginning of academic year the heads of this institutions intensively negotiated with representatives of educational institutions of the Russian Federation, trying to find a possibility to give to Luhansk students the diplomas of Russian sample. First plans were to give to graduates two kits of diplomas — “republic” and of Russian universities.
Ministry and rectors a lot of times report that all necessary agreements are achieved and there is nothing to worry about.
According to words of Acting Minister of Education of “LPR” Ihor Horhano, a lot of Luhansk universities entered into agreements with educational institutions of RF and they are ready to provide their graduates with Russian diplomas.
His words are confirmed by statements of rector of the separatist clone of Luhansk Academy of Culture and Arts Valeriy Philippov. He claimed in a recent interview that graduates of this “educational institution” will get two diplomas — “republic” by the results of state exams on May 25 — June 3 and also they’ll diplomas of Krasodarsky University of Culture and Arts. To get the second one, students must go there and to pass the exams once again.
The rector of “LACA” Valeriy Philippov
The alike situation is in “Luhansk State University named Vladimir Dal”. Number of elective courses, relevant to studying programs of RF, was introduced in this university for students to get diplomas. At the same time it’s not so clear how successful will be the experience of issuing of “double diplomas”.
“I finished the Masters of University named Shevchenko more than in January 2015. At that time we were promised that with diplomas of “LPR” we will get the diplomas of Belgorod State Humanitarian University. I passed off all documents, wrote an application about entering to BSHU and I have been waiting for five months for any diploma”. — tell to us Luhansk graduate Natalia (name changed). Her words are confirmed by another student, Alexander, who finished 4 course of the same university:
“I passed off all the documents for getting the diploma of Bachelor. They promised me a Russian diploma. Except my application about entering this university they needed copies of passports of my parents — what for? I don’t know. They took all that was in hands from those, who didn’t know what to bring. It’s unclear are they going to send them into Russia?”
The promises of runaway “minister”
Shameful demarche of ex-minister of Education of “LPR” Lesya Lapteva, eloped from republic in may, was predictable enough. According to opinion of row of sources of informator.lg.ua the reason of it became from one side is the factual failure of a number of activities and from the second is absence of wish of Lapteva to devide with patrons all “honesty” earned property.
Ukrainian media also published the materials that Lapteva took with herself money , which were intended for paying the salary to teachers of republic. Last payment to them was on October 2014. But, according to our data this information is not true.
Lugansk military and civil administration reports that during the leadership of “ministry” Lapteva developed rough corruption activity, doing additions of sums and stealing the humanitarian aid. There is an interesting circumstance — “prosecutor of “LPR” informs that living the territory of a “young republic” Lesya Lapteva took a stamp of “Ministry of Education of “LPR”. How do you think how much time will it take to produce a new one?
Here is some statements of Lesya Lapteva below about the results of work of ‘ministry”, which she made during the interview to “State TV and radio company of “LPR” on April 14, not so long ago before her running away.
About diplomas: “on 23rd we begin solemn issuing the diplomas about education. It will be Russian diplomas of Russian educational institutions, Russian professional and technical institutions and diplomas of Luhansk People’s Republic, which will be matched to standards of Russian Federation and on every document will be written that it’s valid on a territory of Russian Federation”.
About educational standards and programs: “The full matching of program material happens in our country today. This is need to correspond to all standards of Russian Federation”.
About developing of higher education: “To date it will be transfering of our educational institutions on educational standards of Russian Federation. That’s why we can issue the diplomas of RF in Luhansk without any problems”.
About salaries of teachers: “The last financial moments literally will be solved this week for possibility to carry out the payments. It’s the opening of bills. During a week, I think, everything will be put in order and respectively money will get everyone.
None of the above promises of Lapteva wasn’t achieved. The consequences will come in a closer time.
Maybe this was a reason why Lesya Lapteva prefered to leave the “young and blossom republic”? Actually the getaway of Lapteva was profitable to leadership of “LPR”. They can pin the blame on flight minister and begin everything from the clean piece of paper, appointing a new «head». Our source informed that in the wake of the flight of Lapteva mass runaway of teachers from “republic” could begin, but for other reasons. It will be the second situation of leaving their own homes, because a lot of people came back in time of truce.
It’s not a secret that domestic teachers are not a rich persons. A lot of them doesn’t have any savings and they live from salary to salary. All this academic year they were feed by promises about payments, because their last salary was in January. A lot of teachers with whom I communicate firmly decided to work till the end of academic year and to leave the “republic”. It’s of some political ideas, it’s because they don’t anything to eat. After Lesya Lapteva run away their will will increase”. — tells our interlocutress.
As we can see, the system of education of the “young republic” didn’t achieve much success yet. The final result will be after the issuing of certificates and diplomas of Russian and local sample.
The author of this text sincerely hopes that in spite of all difficulties the graduates of school and universities of “LPR” can get some recognizing documents about education — children are not guilty in anything.
Aleksei Chernov for informator.lg.ua