Romania's reaction after it was announced in Chernivtsi that many Romanian high schools would disappear: “I sent a firm signal” / What Nicușor Dan promised
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest said on Saturday that it had sent Ukraine a “firm” signal as soon as it was announced that numerous high schools teaching in the Romanian language in the Chernivtsi region would disappear and only four of them would remain.
The MAE states that it “immediately conveyed through diplomatic channels” that the requests of the Romanian minority must be respected, the reaction coming after Friday evening President Nicușor Dan gave assurances that the law to come into force in Ukraine from 2027 “will not be applied”.
“It is a law that is scheduled to enter into force in 2027 and will ensure, as far as Romanian high schools are concerned, that this provision will not apply to them until September 2027,” said the head of state, according to Digi24.
Nicușor Dan answered this way after being asked about the information that numerous high schools with Romanian language teaching in the Chernivtsi region, Ukraine, will disappear starting from September 1, 2027, as a result of the reorganization of the education system in the neighboring country.
MAE: I firmly conveyed that it does not meet the community's expectations
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest sent on Saturday that it supports as a priority access to the Romanian language outside Romania's borders and pays special attention to the process of implementing the educational reform in Ukraine (“New Ukrainian School”), which is underway, including from the perspective of the implications for ensuring the right to education in the mother tongue for people belonging to the Romanian minority.
“The announcement regarding the work lists proposed by the authorities in Chernivtsi as part of the reform of the educational institutions is a milestone document, not a decision. Even at this intermediate stage, I firmly signaled that it does not meet the expectations of the community, nor the principles discussed bilaterally at the governmental level regarding the establishment of derogations from the general criteria established for the designation of academic high schools, in order to protect the educational interests of the Romanian minority”, he conveyed to Bucharest.
The signal sent by Romania: It's about assuming European values
According to the MFA, the dialogue with the Ukrainian side on this topic continues:
The Romanian side immediately sent through diplomatic channels that this indicative list of academic high schools in the Chernivtsi region does not reflect the legitimate requests made by the representatives of the Romanian minority, and the request was sent to identify solutions that would not negatively affect the exercise of the right to education of ethnic Romanians who wish to study in their mother tongue.
Also, Romania conveyed to Ukraine that the rights of the Romanian minority and access to education in the mother tongue, “in accordance with the international commitments undertaken by Ukraine, are essential aspects related to Ukraine's full acceptance of European values.”
Now there are 20 Romanian high schools, but only four have been approved
Numerous high schools with teaching in the Romanian language in the Chernivtsi region, Ukraine, will disappear starting from September 1, 2027, as a result of the reorganization of the education system, Aurica Bojescu, the responsible secretary of the Inter-regional Union “Romanian Community of Ukraine”, declared for Agerpres on Tuesday.
Thus, the Chernivtsi Regional Council approved the new high school network in the region, which provides for only four high schools with teaching in Romanian and nine mixed high schools.
The four high schools with teaching in the Romanian language will operate in the city of Cernăuți, as well as in the communes of Hliboca, Ostrita and Herța. This educational reform has caused concern in the Romanian community in the Chernivtsi region, according to it.
“Now there are 32 high schools, 12 are mixed, with two languages, and of the 20 Romanian high schools, four will remain. There will be children who will have nothing to do, and if they immediately want to study, to go to college, then they will have to study elsewhere, in Ukrainian high schools. Children don't really have a choice. Either you go somewhere else, or you stop learning. (…) It is a very difficult situation. Someone must take action', said Bojescu, who claims that the leaders of the Romanian community requested that each Romanian commune should have a high school.
Teacher: The reform will also lead to the disappearance of Romanian gymnasiums
Several voices said that the decision of the Chernivtsi Regional Council to close numerous Romanian high schools is taking place despite the opposition of the Romanian community, which drew attention to the violation of the right to learn in the mother tongue for ethnic Romanians.
This reform will also lead to the disappearance of gymnasiums in the future, because in some of the localities the high schools will be taught in Ukrainian and then parents will no longer send their children to Romanian gymnasiums, but to Ukrainian ones, so that it will be easier for them to continue their studies. More than in those mixed high schools, such as those in Mahala, teaching will be done in Ukrainian, and Romanian will be taught only in the subjects of Romanian Language and Romanian and Universal Literature. There is also the risk of language extinction when mother tongue school disappears. Here is a violation of the Constitution of Ukraine and human rights, which guarantees all citizens learning in their mother tongue', said Neculai Costaș, teacher of Romanian language and literature at a secondary school in Chernivtsi.
The new normative act provides for the closure of high schools in historical Romanian villages such as Mahala, Tărășeni, Noua Suliță, Hliboca, Crasna, Pătrăuți, Storojineț or Mămăliga. Also, there will be no high school teaching in Romanian in the villages of Valea Siretului.
