In February 2014 when Russia seized Crimea I was sixteen and at secondary school.
The whole country was shocked, and it is when my aunt first came to live with us. She had been living and working in Crimea for twenty years at that time. She had more or less left everything behind in the first bout of genocide attempted by Putin’s army of terrorists.
Some said that he was after the naval facilities for another war with the Chechen people but they were wrong, he wanted to carve up Ukraine piecemeal, replacing Ukrainians with Russian colonists just as Hitler had done in Belarus and Ukraine seventy years ago.
The objective of general schooling is to give younger students knowledge of the arts and sciences, and teach them how to use it practically. The middle school curriculum includes classes in the Ukrainian language, Ukrainian Literature, a foreign language, world literature, Ukrainian history, world history, geography, algebra, geometry, biology, chemistry, physics, physical education, music, and art. At some schools, students also take environment and civics classes. Students attend each class only once or twice a week. Part of the school day is also spent in activities such as chess, karate, drama, learning folktales and folk songs, choir, and band. After school, students might also have music lessons, football, hockey, or tennis.
During grades 9 and 12, which is usually around the age of 15 and 17, students take various exams. The current examination system is undergoing change. In grades 9 and 12 students take Independent Government Tests (IGTs), which allows eleventh graders to enter university without taking separate entrance exams. In 2008, entrance exams were abolished and the IGTs became the standard for determining entrance eligibility. However, the system was changed again in 2010.
In school year 2009-2010 potential graduates are scheduled to undergo external independent testing after the final state examination, in the following subjects: Ukrainian language and literature, history of Ukraine, mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry, geography, and one foreign language (of the pupil's choice) in either English, German, French, or Spanish. The results of the testing will have the same status as entrance examinations to institutions of higher education. But some universities can convert points in the external independent test certificate according to their own rating system.
Since 2018, pre-higher education now lasts for 12 years. This means all students who entered grade 1 in 2018 will graduate after completing grade 12; however this does not apply to students who have completed grade 1 prior to 2018.
I was fortunate to be streamed on the scientific loop so that I went from secondary school to university in a transition designed for the students to graduate within four years. I studied chemistry, because it was and remains my key subject, and I have an ambition to help develop better food production techniques.
In my first job after graduating I worked on a team developing a program concerning the upkeep of our soils in a hope that we could safeguard the environment for future generations of crops in a drive for self sufficiency in certain food groups. It was very interesting work, and soils are still in my workload these three thousand kilometres distance.
Some said that he was after the naval facilities for another war with the Chechen people but they were wrong, he wanted to carve up Ukraine piecemeal, replacing Ukrainians with Russian colonists just as Hitler had done in Belarus and Ukraine seventy years ago.
The objective of general schooling is to give younger students knowledge of the arts and sciences, and teach them how to use it practically. The middle school curriculum includes classes in the Ukrainian language, Ukrainian Literature, a foreign language, world literature, Ukrainian history, world history, geography, algebra, geometry, biology, chemistry, physics, physical education, music, and art. At some schools, students also take environment and civics classes. Students attend each class only once or twice a week. Part of the school day is also spent in activities such as chess, karate, drama, learning folktales and folk songs, choir, and band. After school, students might also have music lessons, football, hockey, or tennis.
During grades 9 and 12, which is usually around the age of 15 and 17, students take various exams. The current examination system is undergoing change. In grades 9 and 12 students take Independent Government Tests (IGTs), which allows eleventh graders to enter university without taking separate entrance exams. In 2008, entrance exams were abolished and the IGTs became the standard for determining entrance eligibility. However, the system was changed again in 2010.
In school year 2009-2010 potential graduates are scheduled to undergo external independent testing after the final state examination, in the following subjects: Ukrainian language and literature, history of Ukraine, mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry, geography, and one foreign language (of the pupil's choice) in either English, German, French, or Spanish. The results of the testing will have the same status as entrance examinations to institutions of higher education. But some universities can convert points in the external independent test certificate according to their own rating system.
Since 2018, pre-higher education now lasts for 12 years. This means all students who entered grade 1 in 2018 will graduate after completing grade 12; however this does not apply to students who have completed grade 1 prior to 2018.
I was fortunate to be streamed on the scientific loop so that I went from secondary school to university in a transition designed for the students to graduate within four years. I studied chemistry, because it was and remains my key subject, and I have an ambition to help develop better food production techniques.
In my first job after graduating I worked on a team developing a program concerning the upkeep of our soils in a hope that we could safeguard the environment for future generations of crops in a drive for self sufficiency in certain food groups. It was very interesting work, and soils are still in my workload these three thousand kilometres distance.
