Not Just a Fine: Teacher Could Lose Job for Speaking Russian During Lessons

Using Russian during the educational process in Ukraine may result in a warning or an administrative fine. For a first confirmed violation, the penalty ranges from 3,400 to 5,100 hryvnias. The Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, Olena Ivanovska, also said that in some cases, school administrators terminate teachers’ contracts over language violations.

Language legislation requires Ukrainian to be used in the public sphere, including when providing educational services. This requirement applies not only to school lessons but also to classes at clubs, activity groups, and other educational institutions.

A complaint may serve as grounds for reviewing a violation. For example, parents can contact the Office of the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language if they believe a teacher has failed to comply with language legislation during classes. Administrative penalties are imposed after the complaint has been reviewed: if a violation is confirmed, the first instance may result in a warning or a fine. Repeat violations carry a harsher penalty, with the fine increasing.

According to Olena Ivanovska, some teachers summoned to the Office of the Language Ombudsman explain that their use of Russian was accidental and promise to comply with the requirements going forward. Often, teachers do change their behavior after such an appeal.

At the same time, some teachers refuse to pay the fines imposed on them. In such cases, the Commissioner explained, the fine may be referred for compulsory enforcement, and its amount may be doubled.

The educational institution’s leadership decides whether a teacher will continue working there. As Olena Ivanovska said, administrators sometimes terminate teachers’ contracts in an effort to avoid reputational consequences for the institution.

The Office of the Language Ombudsman does not know exactly how many teachers have lost their jobs for these reasons. The agency does not keep such statistics, as institutional administrators are not required to inform it about their staffing decisions.

The Commissioner also drew attention to the distinction between the educational process and the educational environment. According to her, this distinction may complicate the application of language legislation in different situations involving communication between teachers and students.

Olena Ivanovska stressed that protecting the Ukrainian language does not mean banning the use of other languages. At the same time, she believes the state must counter the spread of Russian cultural influence.

We previously wrote:

• Fines for using Russian in school chats: Ombudsman reminds parents and teachers of the rules
• Russian cartoon in a first-grade classroom costs teacher a 3,400-hryvnia fine
• Is Russian still alive in education? Large-scale checks of language use begin in schools!
• History teacher faces a fine for teaching in Russian and spreading anti-Ukrainian propaganda
• Kremin fines teacher for conducting a lesson in Russian