The alleged suspect in the murder of Iryna Farion and numerous reports of teenagers setting fire to Ukrainian army vehicles for money show the risks in the state’s policy on youth education. Although we don’t really have such a policy as a coherent program.
Today, Tik Tok, Telegram, and Instagram have a greater influence on the upbringing of Ukrainian teenagers than school, family, and even more so the church. There is virtually no comprehensive educational policy, education for ethical behavior, patriotism, etc. in the modern NUS. The methodology of education of American public schools, borrowed from the West and failed there, has very few tools to influence the education of young people. Moreover, it is considered an unnecessary interference with the freedom of children and adolescents.
Thoughtlessly copying the experience of countries that have lived in prosperity and peace for decades is also not entirely appropriate for Ukraine, which may live under threat from the east for many years to come. It would be much more useful for us to look at the experience of warring democracies that have an inadequate neighbor: South Korea, Israel, Taiwan, etc. It would be useful to know what principles they use for school education and youth upbringing, what forms and approaches they use, what role the state and patriotic public organizations play, etc.
Currently, patriotic education is conducted by individual enthusiastic teachers and public organizations such as Plast or Sokil, but they are not active everywhere and certainly not in every school. Ukraine is in a situation where there are not enough enthusiasts and a program is needed to cover all students in all educational institutions with political and patriotic education. Some events are still held in modern schools, but they do not carry the ideological patriotic influence and the sense of national unity and responsibility that our country needs.
Even in the third year of the war, no one is even discussing school-wide programs for political and patriotic education of Ukrainian youth. However, a sober look at the situation is enough to realize that even in ten years, Ukraine will need people who are motivated to do something for their country. Today, a significant number of high school students are planning to emigrate from Ukraine. And there is a high probability that the Ukrainian nation will lose these young people, who quickly adapt to the West, for the sake of the nation.
If the Ukrainian state does not work with young people now, leaving them to be educated by Chinese Tik Tok with Russian content, in decades to come we will not only lack those who will be motivated to defend the country, but even those who will remain here.
Author: Valeriy Maydanyuk
