Kiev. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – January 5, 2021 – Education
What exactly will change from January 16 in the language of service? Taras Kremin, the Ukrainian language commissioner, told.
Taras Kremin: From January 16, 2021, according to Article 30 of the Law of Ukraine “On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as the State Language”, all service providers, regardless of ownership, are obliged to serve consumers and provide information about goods and services in the state language.
Exceptions are situations where the client asks to be explained something in another language. This norm protects the right of a citizen of Ukraine to receive information or services in the state language. I believe that this is a historic event and is clearly aimed not only at improving the quality of services provided, but also everything called “development and promotion of the Ukrainian language.”
Of course, I would like us to be happy with the fact that along with this norm we finally have a state program for the development of mastering the state language, but at the moment it does not exist, there is only a list of measures. There will obviously be a strategy for the future. I insist that by requiring people to have a sufficient level of proficiency in the state language, it is necessary to create the best conditions at the level of providing educational services, at the media level, at the level of local governments, at the level of regional programs.
The second component is free Ukrainian language courses, which are currently not funded by the state. Currently, there are only a few initiatives of volunteers, public organizations, which in recent years have gained relevant experience and are ready to provide every willing citizen with appropriate language courses.