Hungary gov't sponsors strategy for ethnic kin education in Ukraine

Budapest, November 7 - A team of education professionals from Transcarpathia is to prepare a strategy for ethnic Hungarian education in Ukraine, it was agreed at a meeting initiated by the Prime Minister's Office in Budapest on Friday.

Participants at the meeting included ethnic Hungarian experts and teachers from Transcarpathia and representatives if the education ministry and the foreign ministry, said a statement sent to MTI.

Problems of ethnic Hungarian education were reviewed, and participants were in agreement that difficulties are more deeply rooted than the unfavourable legal environment that currently exists in Ukraine.

Several politicians recently noted the negative effects on ethnic minorities of a Ukrainian education ministry decision based on the law on the use of the mother tongue.

Hungarian foreign minister Kinga Goncz said earlier this week that there were already fewer people enrolling in Hungarian schools than before because in a few years' time, school-leaving exams and university entrance exams can only be taken in Ukrainian.