The Ombudsman made an alarming prediction: school graduates will lean towards the Russian language

Graduates of Ukrainian schools may remain bilingual even in 10-20 years if the necessary changes are not made in the education system.

This opinion was expressed by Taras Kremin, a former Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, on the air of one of the TV shows. He emphasized that this applies most of all to Russian-Ukrainian bilingualism, which is a consequence of prolonged Russification, especially in the central and southern regions of Ukraine.

“If we cannot improve the language situation in education, in a decade, graduates will remain bilingual and in the private sphere will prefer not the state language, but the one they speak at home. This makes the language issue critically important. Education is our strategic defense,” he emphasized.

According to him, the situation in Ukraine changed from 2022 to 2025 due to several important factors, including the successful implementation of the language law, the language ombudsman’s active work, the removal of Russian texts from school curricula, and the reduction in the number of students studying Russian.

“Firstly, the law is being effectively implemented by a team, including the National Commission on the State Language. Secondly, a huge number of Russian works have been removed from the foreign literature course. Thirdly, of the 100,000 students who received an education in Russian, almost none remain today. Control over the use of the state language in education has also been strengthened,” the expert noted.

The Ministry of Education annually provides recommendations to stabilize the language situation, including organizing language courses for parents, creating conditions for the use of the Ukrainian language, holding public events, and increasing media literacy.

Taras Kremin also noted that social networks are sources of Russification and bilingualism. In his opinion, it is advisable to ban Telegram in Ukraine, but the main attention should be focused on education.

It is worth noting that the number of children experiencing severe stress is increasing every year, and second-year students are promised or delayed in receiving confirmation of grants. The Ministry of Education also plans to teach schoolchildren to use energy resources economically.