Addressing the Polish academic community, the scientist presented the situation in Ukrainian education in wartime conditions and called for support for Ukraine's simplified accession to the EU.
The participants of the event were shocked by the facts of the destruction of educational institutions, the death of children and civilians. After the video, there was a lot of emotional sympathy and expressed feelings. Ukrainians were honored and supported standing.
Professor Svitlana Onyshchenko spoke at a meeting of the International Cooperation Committee and the Presidium of the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools of Poland (KRASP) with the participation of the Minister of Education and Science of Poland Przemysław Czarnek, representatives of the Polish government and rectors of leading Polish universities. Mr. Przemysław Czarnek conveyed his personal greeting and invitation to a meeting with the Minister of Education and Science Serhii Shkarlet to discuss further joint steps in the great cause of caring for children, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine reports.
The scientist thanked the Polish people for their absolute support of Ukraine in an extremely difficult time for us and tough for the whole of Europe, shelter for refugees, opportunities for children and students, as well as joint fight against the aggressor:
"Ukraine has been suffering from a brutal, open and large-scale war for more than a month. The aggressor's troops are attacking Ukrainian cities, shelling the civilian population, residential buildings, kindergartens, schools, colleges, and universities.
Colleagues, friends! Today, Ukraine, at the cost of the lives of its best sons and daughters, is defending not only European values, it defends Europe from a terrible invasion!
At the same time, I want to emphasize that the most terrible thing is that there are losses among the civilian population, children are dying at the hands of the occupiers. The occupiers have already killed 148 children, injured more than 232 children, killed thousands of Ukrainians, in the middle of Europe, in 2022, in the 21st century.
It is currently impossible to establish the actual number of dead and wounded children due to the active hostilities of the occupying forces in Ukrainian cities.
Undoubtedly, a lot has been done by joint efforts, and we highly appreciate the measures taken by European partners to accept Ukrainian citizens, children and women who were forced to flee from the hostilities in Ukraine.
We thank the Polish people for their absolute support of Ukraine and all-round help: you gave a place to live to our children and our women during the war and provided the opportunity for free education for Ukrainian schoolchildren and students. We are very grateful to you for this. Poles are our neighbors and friends. We know we can count on your help.
We are convinced that the unprecedented violation of international law by the Russian Federation, the violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of an independent country, destruction of the concepts of freedom and democracy, will be ceased by the united efforts of all civilized countries.
We consider it extremely necessary to continue the application of sanctions, to stop any cooperation with the Russian Federation in order to prevent the expansion of military aggression, to condemn its violation of the principles of democracy and peace in the world.
On behalf of the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, on behalf of the entire educational community of Ukraine, I am appealing to you, Dear Rectors, to the Honorable Foundation – the Conference of Rectors of Poland with a request to make an important decision: to prepare and send a letter on behalf of the rectors of Poland on the rapid and simplified accession of Ukraine to European Community!
We are strong! We will win! Glory to Ukraine!" – urged Professor of the Department of Finance, Banking Business and Taxation of the Poltava Polytechnic Svitlana Onyshchenko, emphasizing the main wish: that after the end of the war, our children would return to their native homes and cities.
The scientist also said that currently the priorities in the functioning of the Ukrainian education system are to guarantee the stability of the educational process, create and maintain a safe environment for learning and teaching.
To update information on the number of damaged and destroyed educational infrastructure in each region of Ukraine, an interactive information map "Education under threat" has been created, which is updated daily.
The Poltava professor informed her Polish colleagues that today the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine:
- created conditions and opened free access to many online resources for distance and blended learning formats both in Ukraine and abroad;
- initiated projects for psychological support to children and their parents during martial law;
- organized the educational television project "Learning without borders" – a joint program of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy and Ukrainian TV channels;
- contributes to the successful functioning of the National electronic platform "All-Ukrainian School Online", which contains lessons corresponding to the Ukrainian school curriculum, which is permanently available outside Ukraine and is used in more than 130 countries around the world.
Svitlana Onyshchenko expressed a request to help disseminate information about the online platform "All-Ukrainian School Online" among representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora and refugees in Poland, so that Ukrainian children have constant access to education.
The KRASP Presidium adopted an appeal for strategic support of Ukraine's activities in the field of higher education, science and innovative development.
Media Center of
National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”
