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REPORTCIVIL SOCIETY MONITORING STUDY

OF IDP ACCESS TO EDUCATION

КИЇВ, 2015Kyiv, 2015

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. STUDY BACKGROUND INFORMATION 4

I.a Implementing organisations and regions under civil society monitoring 4

I.b Study methods 6

II. PRESCHOOL AND SCHOOL EDUCATION: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 7

II.a Conclusions 7

II.b Recommendations 10

III. HIGHER EDUCATION: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 11

III.a Conclusions 10

III.b Recommendations 14

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I. STUDY BACKGROUNDINFORMATION

Military actions in Donbass and Crimea’s occupation brought a nationwide challenge before Ukraine: near a million of citizens became internally displaced persons (IDPs). According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, 829,188 persons, including 145,478 children1, had to relocate from the temporary occupied territory and districts of the Anti-terrorist Operation (ATO). The government and the society have to address many urgent needs of IDPs, including the need to provide educational services for internally displaced children in a prompt manner. At the same time, public educational services are one of fundamental constitutional and socially sensitive responsibilities of the State before its citizens. Therefore, the International Renaissance Foundation has supported the initiative of several civil society organisations to provide independent monitoring on how the right to education is secured for IDPs.

1 The majority of internally displaced persons relocated to Luhansk region (162,013 IDPs, including 12,574 children) followed by Kharkiv region (161,771 IDPs, incl. 17.783 children), Donetsk region (106,983 IDPs, incl. 22,310 children), Dnipropetrovsk region (83,120 IDPs, incl. 15,575 children), Zaporizhia region (61,861 IDPs, incl. 15,459 children), Kyiv region (37,890 IDPs, incl. 8,623 children) and to the city of Kyiv (39,047 IDPs, incl. 10,181 children). The least number of IDPs were hosted by Ternopil region (2,513 IDPs, incl. 647 children), Chernivtsi region (2,574 IDPs, incl. 822 children), Ivano-Frankivsk region (3,295 IDPs, incl. 1,022 children), Zakarpattia region (3,671 IDPs, incl. 1,002 children), Rivne region (3,637 IDPs, incl. 1,069 children) and Volyn region (3,770 IDPs, incl. 1,069 children).

2 513647 CHILDREN

3 2951 022 CHILDREN3 671

1 002 CHILDREN

3 6371 069 CHILDREN

3 7701 069 CHILDREN

2 574822 CHILDREN

I.A IMPLEMENTING ORGANISATIONS AND REGIONS UNDER CIVIL SOCIETY MONITORING

PROJECT TITLE

Monitoring of IDPs’ Right to Higher Education in Places of Temporary Stay and Luhansk Region

Civil Society Monitoring of IDPs’ Right to Education

Advocating IDPs’ Right to Education in Sumy Higher Educational Institutions

Monitoring of Exercising the Right to Education by Students of Donbas Higher Educational Institutions

ORGANISATION NGO Luhansk Oblast Public Initiative

Zaporizhia CityYouth NGO STEP

NGO Young Scientists’ Council

All-Ukrainian Youth NGO National Students Union

REGION UNDER MONITORING Luhansk region

Zaporizhia and Kherson regions

Sumy region Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk,

Zaporizhia, Odesa, and Kyiv regions, and the city of Kyiv

829188 relocated persons, including 145478 children

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162 01312 574 CHILDREN

161 77117 783 CHILDREN

39 04710 181 CHILDREN

37 8908 623 CHILDREN

106 98322 310 CHILDREN

83 12015 575 CHILDREN

61 86115 459 CHILDREN

KYIV CITY:

KYIV REGION:

REGIONS SUBJECT TO CIVILSOCIETY MONITORING

Centre for Control over Ensuring the Right to Education for IDPs in Kharkiv Region

Public Audit: Exercising the Right to Education by IDPs in the City of Kyiv

Status Monitoring and Development of Recommendations to Improve the Quality of Education among Internally Displaced Schoolchildren and Students in Luhansk Region

Securing the Right to Education for IDPs Staying in Volyn Region

Chuguyiv City/DistrictNGO Chuguyiv Human Rights Group

NGO CrimeanHuman Rights Initiative

NGO Tribun

Volyn Region Youth NGO (VRYNGO) Volyn Institute for Support and

Development of Civil society Initiatives

Kharkiv region City of Kyiv Rubizhne, Luhansk region Lutsk, Volyn region

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As shown on the map, the monitoring study covered different Ukraine’s regions making the findings more representative. Notably, the monitoring studies were completed in regions reported to host the majority of IDPs (Kharkiv region),

average number of IDPs (Zaporizhia region, Kyiv region and the city of Kyiv) and in regions hosting the least number of IDPs (Volyn region). As a result, the comparative analysis of study results in various regions demonstrate to what extent

the government authorities and educational institutions implement the rule of law principles (lawfulness, accessibility, right to appeal, transparency etc.) in the educational sector for IDPs depending on their number.

Methods used to get analytical information are described below: • Search for information using official websites of

Verkhovna Rada, Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, central executive authorities, higher educational institutions; information enquiries to respective agencies.

• Opinion polls: Primary sociological information was derived by online polls using the Google Forms platform, interviews with students, and face-to-face in-depth interviews with teaching staff. The study also used anonymous questionnaires and respondents answered questions on their own. Overall, more than 1,500 students were interviewed in 9 regions throughout Ukraine.

• In addition to questionnaires, focus group meeting were held as a part of the study. Expert interviews involved staff members of educational institutions (preschool, school, vocational, and higher educational institutions) and officials of education & science departments of regional state administrations and district education departments.

• Analysis of documents, including: replies to enquiries to state and local government authorities; media coverage on how IDPs’ needs are addressed; IDPs’ requests and claims that IDPs’ needs are not addressed in the appropriate manner as filed by the Centre for Control over Exercising the Right to Education by IDPs.

I.B STUDY METHODS

2. In particular, the study focused on educational services offered in cities, such as Kharkiv, Odesa, Lutsk, Kovel, Novovolynsk, Volodymyr-Volynsky and other localities, such as Rubizhne, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions. Interviews were held with students of Sumy V. Dal National University, Luhansk National Taras Shevchenko University, and in Sumy region: Sumy State A.S. Makarenko Pedagogical University, Ukrainian Banking Academy of the National Bank of Ukraine, Sumy National Agrarian University, and Sumy State University.

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II. PRESCHOOL AND SCHOOLEDUCATION: CONCLUSIONS ANDRECOMMENDATIONS

Organisation of the learning and educational process at preschool and school institutions appears to be one of the most urgent and the most difficult public services provided by the State to its citizens. The need to provide the entire range of institutional, legal, educational, methodological and community-focused measures requires the Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science (MoES), regional education departments, top management of educational institutions and teaching staff to take efforts in a well-coordinated

and systematic way. Educational institutions need to ensure a coherent and continuous learning and educational process based on standards approved irrespective of the current political developments or economic situation in the country. Social disruptions, such as an unexpected urgent need to provide public services for more than 120,000 of additional consumers (internally displaced children) in a priority manner, are a hard multidimensional challenge for any sector of public administration, including the Ukraine’s educational system.

In particular, MoES launched a process of developing the legal framework and methodological support for preschools and schools (still in progress). More than 40 orders and letters on institutional and methodological issues have been developed and provided by MoES to regional education departments.

These orders and letters serve as a basis for respective departments of regional/local public authorities (such as regional/district state administrations or city/town/village councils) to adopt local regulations and, in cooperation with chief executives of educational institutions, to address other issues as they arise.

II.A CONCLUSIONS

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THE ANALYSIS OF MEASURES BEING TAKEN BY THE UKRAINIAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM STARTING FROM SPRING 2014 DEMONSTRATES THAT THE OVERALL NECESSARY AND POSSIBLE REGULATORY AND MANAGEMENT ALGORITHM OF RESPONSE WAS TESTED IN AN URGENT SITUATION REQUIRING TO SECURE THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION FOR INTERNALLY DISPLACED CHILDREN.

With guidelines promptly developed by MoES, cities and regions could quickly find solutions and implement legal mechanisms to have schoolchildren’s documents lost in the

ATO zone reissued. Prompt support to local education departments prevented violations of IDPs’ right to education.

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The findings of civil society monitoring studies in Ukraine’s regions serve as an indicator of achievements.

The Ukraine’s system of education proved to be professional and efficient in crisis decision-making. The monitoring studies revealed no

significant issue of discrimination or violation of internally displaced children’s rights to education and learning.

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ALL EIGHT STUDIES SHOW THAT INTERNALLY DISPLACED PRE-SCHOOLERS AND SCHOOLCHILDREN GET ACCESS TO THE LEARNING PROCESS PROMPTLY, WITHOUT BUREAUCRATIC OR ANY OTHER OBSTACLES, DESPITE INSUFFICIENT CURRENT PUBLIC FUNDING.

DIFFERENT POLITICAL VIEWS OF THOSE WHO LIVE IN EASTERN AND WESTERN UKRAINE HAVE NO IMPACT ON RELATIONSHIP AMONG CHILDREN AND PARENTS REPRESENTING LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND IDPS.

The unique experience with addressing education needs of internally displaced children on a national scale was positive, in particular, because of personal qualities of Ukrainian teaching staff such as administrative discipline and high social responsibility. Notably, the Ukraine’s education

system demonstrated a precedent of ‘positive discrimination’ when internally displaced pre-schoolers are enrolled to kindergartens in the priority manner – this is a phenomenal example of the professionalism and social conscience of those who work in the educational system.

Interviews with IDPs’ representatives of school communities (children and parents) revealed no example of negative attitude towards IDPs due to political or any other

difference. Alternatively, the monitoring study demonstrates many examples of tolerant attitude and situations when teachers and parents are willing to help.

Support to internally displaced families in addressing their education needs was provided mainly with local resources (teachers, parents’ committees and school administrations). In

some cases, respondents mention assistance from volunteer organisations. Although fragmentary, the overall assistance was targeted.

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NO ADDITIONAL PUBLIC FUNDING IS PROVIDED TO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS FOR IDPS.

The monitoring study (mainly in Central and Western Ukraine) found no issues caused by different language preferences (Ukrainian or Russian). According to respondents, they enjoy freedom of communication which does not lead to any conflict. This may be explained by the fact that

internally displaced children (including those from Crimea) are adapted to the Ukrainian language and can quite quickly switch to Ukrainian in their learning process. Similarly, respondents say that teachers are flexible and tolerant and try to promote friendly atmosphere among schoolchildren.

Continuous relocations of IDPs, who go home once the military situation tends to stabilize or have to go back again, becomes a problem for kindergartens and schools since IDPs often fail

to notify education departments and respective educational institutions of their decision to relocate. This complicates the planning process and assistance for IDPs.

At a district level, free meals and transport services for children to/from educational institutions is an additional burden for local budgets. When load increases and budgets

remain limited, educational institutions may function in a normal way for a very short period of time only and require additional financing.

In large cities (such as Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv) educational institutions appear to experience the highest inflow of internally displaced children.

To address education needs in the efficient manner, IDPs future plans should be studied. In some studies, near 40% of respondents

do not think about their future; however the majority of them are not going to leave Ukraine.

LACK OF ADDITIONAL PUBLIC FUNDING FOR SUCH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS MAY CAUSE A RISK OF SOCIAL DISCONTENT IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES.

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II.B RECOMMENDATIONS

• MoES should reward the most active teaching teams and their managers who demonstrate high professionalism and civil consciousness in extreme situations when urgent IDPs’ needs are to be addressed promptly.

• Based on MoES’ Strategy, education departments at regional state administrations and local councils should develop and submit financial data on expenditure items of local budgets with due consideration of increased numbers of children for approval by councils of Regional Programmes for Support the Right to Education for Internally Displaced Children in 2016.

• IDPs’ representatives should join community councils at all levels of central executive authorities and education authorities of regional state administrations and local councils. Opportunities to get high-quality education for internally displaced children should be put on the agenda of community councils in 2015. Communities of parents representing internally displaced children must be involved in discussions and decision-making processes.

• In cooperation with relevant civil society organisations, MoES methodological department should develop (perhaps, as an objective of the Strategy) a training programme for elementary school and kindergarten teachers ‘Cooperation of School Communities and Patriotic Education in Securing the Right to Education for Internally Displaced Children’. With the support of international programmes, a training session should be held for mixed groups including managers of educational institutions from regions hosting the majority of IDPs.

• In cooperation with international programmes, MoES should develop and hold a call of proposals for NGOs in regions hosting large numbers of IDPs to provide microgrants for parents’ committees in Ukrainian schools to implement cultural, awareness and social projects. Such projects should enhance mutual understanding and cooperation through joint efforts to be taken by teaching staff, schoolchildren and parents (including IDPs’ representatives). To enhance the social effect of the call of proposals, methodologists of regional and local education departments should hold trainings based on social mobilisation and a school-wide approach to promote mutual respect in a school community.

• As a part of the Strategy, respective MoES research institutions should develop SMART indicators to monitor implementation and situations with IDPs on an annual basis. Best regional practice should be presented on respective MoES web sources.

THE RESPECTIVE MOES AGENCIES SHOULD DESCRIBE THE UNIQUE AND SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE OF THE PRESCHOOL AND SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM WITH ADDRESSING EDUCATION NEEDS FOR MORE THAN 120,000 INTERNALLY DISPLACED CHILDREN AS A CASE STUDY TO MAKE A SERIES OF PUBLICISTIC PRODUCTS FOR NATIONAL AND REGIONAL PRINTED AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA.

This example of the best practice in the Ukraine’s education system should focus public attention on prevention of segregation, enhanced solidarity in school communities and involvement of citizens from different Ukrainian regions to address children’s needs irrespective of a region they live in.

GIVEN THE LONG-TERM NATURE OF CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH IDPS’ RIGHTS TO EDUCATION, MOES SHOULD DEVELOP THE STRATEGY ‘MOBILISATION OF RESOURCES TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION FOR INTERNALLY DISPLACED CHILDREN BY 2020’ (A WORKING TITLE) to define the main lines of institutional, legal, educational, methodological and awareness efforts to be taken by preschool and school educational institutions, research institutions, parents’ communities and NGOs. Negotiations should be held with representative of international programmes to promote partnership in the strategy implementation.

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III. HIGHER EDUCATION: CONCLUSIONS ANDRECOMMENDATIONS

Under the Law of Ukraine ‘On General Secondary Education’, the system of secondary education must cover all children of school age. Hence, the attitude of education departments, educational institutions and teaching staff to address issues in the system of general secondary education (including securing the right to education for internally displaced children) is well-motivated and pro-active and, sometimes, become even paternal in relationship between teachers and schoolchildren.

In addition, the studies demonstrate psychological problems due to the ruined lifestyle in a home town, a sudden breakdown of social links with one’s relatives and friends, an uncertainty with one’s future, concerns about family members who continue to live in the ATO zone. These issues appear to be depressive for internally displaced students just as financial issues are (accommodation, meals, educational expenses etc.). Even one’s simple wish to visit parents living in the occupied territory raises safety concerns. In other words, internally displaced students require special attention from MoES and teaching staff of educational institutions. Most students who have to leave in the occupied territories are patriots of Ukraine. This solid citizenship should be supported.

The first phase of the study shows that in February 2015, 9,367 ex-students of higher educational institutions located in the ATO zone were enrolled to 101 higher educational institutions in Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Kyiv, Odesa and Kharkiv regions and the city of Kyiv. 5,521 ex-students of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are now government-subsidised students. 3,846 ex-students pay for their education themselves or their education is financed by legal entities. 5,753 students live in hostels, while the others are hosted by their relatives or friends or have to rent out accommodation.

Unlike the general secondary education, university education is a voluntary decision of a citizen. Being of full age, any citizen becomes fully responsible for meeting all requirements of the learning process at a higher educational institution. The role of the administrative and teaching staff of an educational institution is to provide materials for learning only. Before 2014, the existing administrative and teaching difference between two categories of consumers of educational services (schoolchildren vs. students) was not a significant issue because (1) students transferred to other Ukrainian cities in very rare cases and (2) such transfers were usually planned in advance based on financial standing of a student’s family and were merely considered as a good chance for a student to get better education and become more competitive on a labour market.

III.А CONCLUSIONS

IN TODAY’S SITUATION, WHEN MANY STUDENTS HAVE TO TRANSFER FROM HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS LOCATED IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES, THE EXTREME CONDITIONS AND DEPRESSION FACED BY THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIAN CITIZENS, ESPECIALLY STUDENTS FROM DONETSK REGION AND CRIMEA, REQUIRE IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER. For instance, a poll held among internally displaced students show that 97.2% of respondents face poorer financial situation (compared to their situation before relocation) and lower income, and 24% of students are willing to change their current form of education to find a job and pay for their education and accommodation in Kyiv.

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LACK OF INFORMATIONFOR INTERNALLY DISPLACED STUDENTS: For example, MoES issued Order No. 1474 dd. December 16, 2014 ‘On the Scope of Public Contracts’ and provided explanations on the student transfer procedure, issuance of documents and measures to implement current legal requirements (Letter No. 1/9-639 dd. December 16, 2014). The Order requires such students to file an application by December 19, 2014. Order No. 556 dd. May 07, 2014 was uploaded (as observed by monitoring experts) on websites of MoES and Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine only. This appears to be an insufficient measure considering the media blackout in the temporary occupied territories. For example, the monitoring studies demonstrate that 39% of interviewees used MoES hot line: 17% complained of poor-quality services, 12% got no reply, and 8% received insufficient information on their matter.

BUREAUCRACY AND NON-STANDARDIZED LIST OF DOCUMENTS FOR STUDENT TRANSFERS: According to MoES Consulting Centre, the exact list of enrolment documents is defined by a higher educational institution an internally displaced student is going to transfer to. This causes a risk of wide discretion and sometimes unreasonable interpretation of this legal requirement by higher educational institutions. The monitoring studies show that 35% of respondents faced difficulties in gathering the documents required. Of them, 37% are from the ATO zone, and 17% are from the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Crimean students were required to submit their bachelor’s degree, specialist’s diploma, a proof of curriculum differences and other papers to transfer to another Ukrainian institution. However these documents could hardly be issued by a higher educational institution under control of the occupation authorities. Moreover, 12% of students think their safety would be at risk if they went to the temporary occupied territories to get such documents. Higher educational institutions should understand: when any Ukrainian symbol (even a small national flag) may lead to an accusation of extremism and criminal prosecution, student’s decision to transfer to a Ukrainian higher educational institution and his/her request for documents may have similar consequences.

The first practical input of MoES in addressing this challenge was to provide legal framework to protect rights of internally displaced students from occupied territories. With this legal framework, regional education departments and universities could develop local regulations and implement the student transfer procedure. At the same time, monitoring studies show that some urgent regulations were developed far too late and the development process was fragmentary.

Especially noteworthy is the initiative of MoES and universities to inform students from temporary occupied territories of an opportunity to transfer to similar universities in other Ukrainian cities. MoES and universities took organisational and methodological efforts to optimize enrolment of internally displaced students to higher educational institutions. AT THE SAME TIME, THE MONITORING STUDIES REVEAL THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS:

39%

35%

17%

17%

12%

8%

37%

interviewees usedMoES hot line

of respondents faced difficulties in gathering

the documentsrequired

omplained of poor-quality services

from the ATOzone

from the Autonomous Republic of Crimea

got no reply

received insufficientinformation on their matter

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Nevertheless, Sumy demonstrates an example of best

practice. The study shows that 79% of respondents had

no problems with enrolment documents to transfer to

another higher educational institution. In most cases,

institutions were willing to accept documents and

students appreciate assistance from the teaching staff.

Of all interviewees, 14% of students claim of biased

attitude from administrative staff of a higher educational

institution. Notably, students from the ATO zone say

about biased attitude while Crimean students does

not feel any negative attitude from teachers or other

students.

DIFFERENCES IN CURRICULA:

The students interviewed consider differences in curricula

to be a problem, for example, one student has to pass

38 modules in addition to his current programme. This

is major problem for graduates who have to get ready

for their final examinations. Many students complain it is

impossible to master new knowledge over quite a short

period of time.

AFFORDABLE ACCOMMODATION:

In different Ukrainian cities, internally displaced students

face problems with finding hostel accommodation. In

Kyiv, 34% internally displaced students have to deal

with this problem. In addition, a new problem becomes

evident: students cannot visit occupied territories during

holidays and higher educational institutions are unable

to provide their students with hostel accommodation.

Of all interviewees, 26% students faced this problem.

Internally displaced students have difficulties with

finding accommodation other than a student hostel.

In most cases, tenants are unwilling to rent out an

apartment to IDPs (Sumy). At the same time, 44% of

students did not apply for registration as IDPs. The most

common reason is unawareness of the IDP registration

procedure. Moreover, the study demonstrates that

internally displaced students do not wish to discuss their

problems in an open manner. Most of them are sensitive

to this issue and feel uncomfortable when they have to

ask for help even when they do need it.

Where are you going to live upon graduation?(The results are given in percentage)

% 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Odesa region

The city where I study now.

I’m going to come back to my home city/village

Will relocate to other Ukrainian city

I’m going to leave Ukraine

Other

Kyiv and Kyiv region

Dnipropetrovskregion

Zaporizhia region

Kharkiv region

All respondents

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III.B RECOMMENDATIONS

• In cooperation with respective civil society organisations, MoES should raise students’ awareness of opportunities to transfer from universities located in the temporary occupied territories using social networks, forums developed and moderated by authorised representatives of MoES where students can discuss transfer issues, regular media coverage in national channels. Functioning of MoES Hot Line should be optimised.

• Whenever regulations governing deadlines for student transfer

applications are developed, MoES should take into account restricted access to the relevant information due to the media blackout in temporary occupied territories.

• The list of documents required to transfer students from universities in the temporary occupied territories should be standardised (as far as practically possible). The single decision-making procedure for admission boards should be developed to address situations when a student is unable to submit all documents required (e.g. due to loss of documents).

• Higher educational institutions and students’ communities should hold regular events to prevent social exclusion of students, including, where appropriate, psychological aid.

• To launch a support programme for internally displaced students (clothes, household items) by establishing foundations or using trade union committees, including on a competitive basis based on student’s performance.

• Representatives of civil society organisations protecting rights of internally displaced students should join community councils at MoES, regional state administrations or students’ councils.

• In cooperation with international programmes, MoES should develop and hold a call of proposals for students’ NGOs from regions hosting the majority of IDPs to provide microgrants to cultural, awareness and social projects of Ukrainian students. Such projects should promote mutual understanding and cooperation through joint efforts taken by students (including IDP representatives). To enhance the social effect of the call of proposals, local NGOs should hold trainings based on social mobilisation to promote mutual respect in a students’ community.

• MoES activities for IDPs should take a form of the Strategy and Action Plan. The Strategy and Action Plan should detail the frequency of interventions and necessary resources. Negotiations should be held with representatives of international programmes to enhance cooperation to address needs of internally displaced students.

TO PROVIDE FOR ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE ITEMS IN THE NATIONAL BUDGET AND LOCAL BUDGETS 2016 TO ADDRESS HOUSING NEEDS OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED STUDENTS.

MOES SHOULD HOLD NEGOTIATIONS WITH UNDP FOR COOPERATION TO ESTABLISH NEW PLACES FOR INTERNALLY DISPLACED STUDENTS.