Romania urges Ukraine to protect Romanian-language schools

Romania has formally requested that Ukraine guarantee the continuity of schools teaching in the Romanian language. This diplomatic move follows appeals from Romanian communities in Ukraine, including the Bucovina Social-Cultural Association, which expressed concerns regarding Ukraine’s planned education reforms scheduled for 2027.

During political consultations between Romanian State Secretary Ana Tinca and Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleksandr Mishchenko, Bucharest emphasized the need to ensure access to Romanian-language education at all levels. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the government urged Ukraine to avoid regressive measures and to maintain the traditional network of schools. Romania also called for regular, transparent, and substantial consultation with representatives of the Romanian minority regarding legislative changes.

Community organizations have highlighted specific risks in the Chernivtsi, Transcarpathia, and Odesa regions. There are fears that reorganizing the high school network could leave many villages without access to native-language instruction, potentially forcing parents to enroll children in Ukrainian-only schools from a younger age. In the Odesa region, some students may face distances of up to 185 kilometers to reach a school offering Romanian-language classes.