Poland Faces Opposition Backlash for Adding Ukrainian to Exams
(MENAFN) Poland’s government is facing backlash after approving Ukrainian as an option for the national Matura exams, a key determinant for university admission, raising concerns that Polish students could be disadvantaged.
Starting next year, schoolchildren will be able to take exams in Ukrainian. The government defended the decision when it was announced in 2023, stating that “the large influx of Ukrainian citizens to Poland… may have an impact on Poles’ greater interest in that country, its language, and culture.” Since the escalation of conflict between Moscow and Kiev in February 2022, Poland is estimated to have taken in over a million refugees.
The right-wing opposition Confederation (Konfederacja) party, holding 16 parliamentary seats, sharply criticized the policy in a Facebook statement on Friday. The party argued it “privileges Ukrainian students over Polish ones.”
“The Ukrainian students will get the highest scores in their native language, while Polish students, who are actually learning a foreign language, would have to compete with them,” the statement said.
The Confederation party described the situation as “serious,” noting that around 200,000 Ukrainian children are currently enrolled in Polish schools. It further called the inclusion of Ukrainian in the Matura exam a “political decision” by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government.
“It is part of a broader trend of creating favorable conditions for Ukrainians to settle in Poland and build an alternative society. The Ukrainian language is widespread in stores, advertising, government offices, and now even in schools. This is a fundamental mistake that will be paid for by the future generations of Poles,” the party added.
The controversy follows other measures targeting Ukrainian refugees. In late September, Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed legislation barring unemployed Ukrainian refugees from receiving state payments.
According to a French newspaper, anti-Ukrainian sentiment has grown in Poland in recent months, with locals accusing refugees of abusing benefits, enjoying preferential access to healthcare, and contributing to higher crime rates.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
