74% of secondary school students consider Ukrainian their native language

In the 2023/2024 school year, 74% of students in general secondary education institutions regard Ukrainian as their native language. This percentage is slightly lower compared to previous years. 

This information was revealed during a presentation at Media Center Ukraine, which showcased the results of monitoring the use of the state language in the educational process for the 2023/2024 academic year. 

“We have conducted this study for three consecutive years, beginning in the first year of the full-scale invasion. There appears to be a trend indicating a potential decline in results. In 2023/2024, 74% of students considered Ukrainian their first language, while 82% of parents and 86% of teachers also identified Ukrainian as their mother tongue,” stated Ruslan Hurak, Head of the State Service of Educational Quality of Ukraine. 

However, Hurak noted that there is no declining trend among parents of students in general secondary education institutions. In the 2021/2022 academic year, 82% of parents considered Ukrainian their native language, which increased to 93% in 2022/2023 and returned to 82% in 2023/2024.

The study surveyed students in grades 8-11, their parents, and teachers in 121 general secondary education institutions, including 85 in urban areas and 36 in rural areas. The representative sample accurately reflects the demographics of five regions and the city of Kyiv.

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news