Anykščių A. Baranauskas primary school is unique in the district, it is the only school where Ukrainians study. Two days before the new school year, “Nykščiai” asked school director Dalia Kugienė, will the number of children from Ukraine studying in this school increase?
“Last academic year, 47 Ukrainian children graduated from our school. Their plans, as far as I know, were to return to our school this school year as well. Their number is not expected to increase. We had students in all classes. However, this school year, Ukrainians will no longer be able to study remotely in Ukrainian schools. If last school year they studied only Lithuanian language in our school, this year they will have to study all subjects in our school in Lithuanian language. Ukrainians had to learn the Lithuanian language in two years,” said the director.
When asked if it would be difficult to talk, D. Kugienė assured that everything should go smoothly. “School pedagogues have experience working with children who have come from abroad, who usually do not speak Lithuanian. We belong to a network of schools for returning students from abroad. After all, it is not uncommon for parents, who have returned after a relatively long life abroad, to bring back children who do not speak Lithuanian well, or who do not even speak their parents’ native language. They are directed to study with us. Therefore, it is not new for our teachers to work with such children – how to solve the language problem, explained the director. – I can still be happy that the number of students in our school is increasing. For the second year in a row, we have gathered three classes of first graders, when before there were only two. This year we will also have one more class of fourth graders, there will be three classes. I am happy with my team, because if students, or more precisely, parents of students, choose our educational institution, it means that they trust us”.
Dalina RUPINSKIENĖ
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