Why Ukrainian schoolchildren do not know English: the main reasons from teachers.

According to ТСН: A lively discussion has unfolded on social media about why Ukrainian schools have been teaching English for many years, but graduates often leave with a zero level of knowledge. Users and educators pointed out the main problems, including outdated programs and the lack of student motivation.

The discussion started with a post from a social media user with the nickname anastasia.derlemenko, who asked teachers and tutors to clarify this situation. She expressed her surprise: how can one not master the English language over years of schooling.

Responses in the comments to her inquiry included opinions from both educators and ordinary users. Many emphasized that before posing such questions, one should try working in a public school to understand how the system functions.

Many commentators noted that this problem is not limited to just the English language but is typical for many subjects. In their opinion, most children lack motivation for learning and do not strive to complete assignments. Participants in the discussion stressed:

• “About the same way one can teach mathematics 4-5 times a week for 11 years and graduate students who still do not know it. This same phenomenon can be applied to any other subject.”

• “Teachers teach. And not even 2 times a week, but three, and sometimes more. But the question is, do students learn! Because you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.”

One user shared her experience of teaching English in school and highlighted four key factors that affect learning outcomes:

• the need to strictly follow the curriculum: tests are conducted regardless of the level of material mastery;

• constant rotation of teachers, each with their own approach, and students need time to adapt;

• the presence of students who regularly skip lessons;

• formal “window dressing,” when children are often taken out of classes to participate in other activities that are important but interfere with the main educational process.

In the end, Ukrainian educator Adriana Pauk conducted an experiment in which an American and a Brit with higher education took the English language NMT. The native speakers could not score even 160 points (157 and 153 respectively), noting that the questions to the understandable texts were too confusing. The educator criticizes the test for its incompetence, emphasizing that the NMT tasks do not check language knowledge but only attempt to confuse students.

This discussion has once again raised the question of the effectiveness of the Ukrainian education system. The problems being discussed concern not only the English language but many other subjects, indicating the need to revise educational programs and teaching methods. The issue of student motivation remains relevant, and effective solutions could significantly improve the quality of education in Ukraine.