Zelenskyy signed a law expanding education in minority languages
The changes also concern Indigenous peoples and the conditions for taking the External Independent Testing (EIT)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a law expanding the educational rights of national minorities and indigenous peoples of Ukraine. On Monday, October 12, 2026, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the document in first reading and in full. The president signed the law the same day. According to rada.gov.ua.
Information about the law’s adoption and signing is available on the parliament’s website and in the bill’s record. The bill is No. 16119, titled “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Educational Rights of Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine and Persons Belonging to National Minorities (Communities) of Ukraine”.
The new provisions cover several areas:
- They expand the use of the languages of national minorities that are official languages of the European Union, as well as the languages of indigenous peoples of Ukraine, in education and communication in educational institutions.
- They define the status of the relevant general secondary education institutions.
- They provide for national history, culture, and traditions to be taken into account in educational programs.
- They guarantee the opportunity to continue studying in the relevant language if an educational institution is reorganized or closed.
- They provide for improvements to the conditions for conducting the External Independent Evaluation.
“The law is intended to ensure an appropriate level of proficiency in the state language while preserving the linguistic and cultural identity of national minorities (communities) of Ukraine and indigenous peoples of Ukraine,” the Verkhovna Rada explained.
After the document was adopted, talks were also held with the Hungarian side, represented by Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Orbán.
“We welcome the successful implementation of the agreements between Ukraine and Hungary. Foreign Ministers Andrii Sybiha and Anita Orbán held talks on the sidelines of a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council. The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed her counterpart about the adoption of provisions on national minority education by the Ukrainian parliament. Ukraine expects two negotiating clusters to be opened as early as tomorrow,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said in a statement.
Earlier, in early October, Anita Orbán welcomed the submission of the bill on the educational rights of national minorities to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The Hungarian side expected the Ukrainian parliament to adopt it during October.
Previously, in May, Ukraine and Hungary agreed to hold a new round of expert consultations on the rights of the Hungarian national minority in Zakarpattia.
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