Odesa Education Department responds to scandal over tests for child who returned from abroad

Odesa-based journalist Zoya Kazanzhi reported that a child who returned to Ukraine after studying abroad was required to take tests in nine subjects, including physical education and labor training, in order to return to the educational process. This situation caused a wave of discussions on social media and a reaction from the Department of Education of the Odesa City Council.

According to the director of the department, Olena Buynevych, the described case is the result of a misinterpretation of the current educational instructions. She emphasized that testing is not a condition for enrollment in school if a child returns to his or her parallel after studying abroad. In this case, the school must recalculate grades in accordance with the official scale of the Ministry of Education and Science.

According to the official, the assessment can only be conducted in subjects that the child has not studied, such as Ukrainian, and should not be a formal requirement, but a way to identify educational gaps. Olena Buynevych noted that such tests are needed only for individualized support of a child, not as a prerequisite for his or her return to the educational process.

"Testing is quite logical in order to make up for lost time in those subjects that the child has not studied. Ukrainian language, for example. Of course, parents and children need to be explained that it is not for enrollment or evaluation, but so that teachers can help individually in a situation where the child has been deprived of studying this necessary subject," the director of the department said in a statement.

According to Buynevych, there is no need to hand over the products for the entire missed year for labor (technology) lessons.

As a result, the official called on school administrators to avoid excessive workload and act in accordance with the official recommendations of the Ministry of Education. In case of violations, parents are advised to contact the school administration or the Department of Education directly.

In an interview with Intent.Insight, Director of the Odesa Department of Education Buynevych explained how first-graders are enrolled in schools.

Ірина Глухова