March-April 1980 Political Prisoner in Thirty-Sixth Year of Confinement Ivan Jaworsky Freedom for Shumuk!
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50 cents CANADA'S NEWSPAPER FOR UKRAINIAN STUDENTS ^3Lo IVAjSIUK" 19 43 - . Lamont Board fears repen ian bilingual school proposal flounders in Dave Lupul bureaucratic obstacles proposal to implement a Ukrainian bilingual program the parents' A group, Mrs. have not organized to demand a bilingual education received approval in Marcella Ostashewski, Ukrainian principle pointed similar program for any other out program in the County of La- from the Lamont School Board that split classes already language, indicates the un- run into a it mont, Alberta, has last December, appears that exist in almost all elementary substantiated nature of bureaucratic obstacle which there are reservations about its grades at Lamont Elementary Dobush 's contention, accor- threatens to prevent its realiza- viability on the part of some School, and that the Ukrainian ding to Prof. Medwidsky. 1980-81 tion in the upcoming quarters — in particular, from bilingual program proposal Dr. Dobush suggested that school year. the Superintendent of the La- had, in any case, already twenty in view of the administrative major stumbling block mont County School Dr. children committed for The Board, 1980-81 difficulties, "there is still a appears to be the apprehen- Jack Dobush. In a telephone A second point of difficulty chance that the program might of local school conversation with Student, Dr. raised sions by Dobush centered go forward [this fall]. But a feel that the authorities, who Dobush indicated he feels the upon the fact that a survey Ukrainian-language option at of a Ukrainian implementation program will go ahead in La- prepared for the County of the Grade 4-6 level might be bilingual program could lead to mont only if it can be Lamont in June of 1979 had more realistic at this time, in ad- a whole number of demonstrated to be both indicated almost as strong a term of present enrolment." ministrative difficulties which "realistic and viable." Dobush community interest in the Dobush asserted that some of might excessively tax Lamont added that "there is a general French language as in the the people who had apparently County's capabilities, par- reluctance the of on part the Ukrainian. Therefore, if the committed themselves to an ticularly if a movement for the [School] Board to get into the Ukrainian program is im- immersion program were ac- establishment of a French- [Ukrainian bilingual] program plemented, Dobush expects a tually under the impression that language bilingual program at this time." similar demand to arise for Ukrainian was to be taught only emerges in Lamont County as a Dobush cited several French-language schooling or as a language of study in that the Ukrainian response to problems which have been possibly even for the German program, and that they were proposal. encountered in the planning of language, creating additional actually in favour of his own Support for the introduc- a bilingual program. One of administrative headaches for proposal. Ukrainian as a tion of language these problems was the the school district. Prof. Medwidsky, however, of instruction in Lamont possibility that there might not To this point, Professor indicated he felt that the objec- originated from a group schools be sufficient students entering Bohdan Medwidsky of the tions raised to the program by plan enrol of parents who to Grade 1 in 1980-81 to allow for Slavic Languages Department Dr. Dobush were merely ex- their children in Lamont three classrooms of twenty at the University or Alberta cuses which masked Dobush's Elementary School in the fall of students each in that grade. replied that the 1979 survey personal opposition to the 1980. This parents' group Therefore, if the Ukrainian cited by Dobush was under- program.. Medwidsky stated, petitioned the County Lamont bilingual program went taken to determine interest in 'the School Boards of Minburn School Board in December forward, the school would have French and Ukrainian as op- County and Strathcona County 1 979 for approval of a Ukrainian to deal with additional split timal languages of study, not as have somehow managed to bilingual program, to started considering approaching the be classes. Dobush stated that he languages of instruction in a implement the Ukrainian in Lamont Schools during the had been Minister of Education to in- receiving complaints bilingual program. The fact that bilingual program in Vegreville 1980-81 school year on the about tervene in the stalemate should split classes [i.e. more over twenty families have and Sherwood Park. Why can't it fail to same basis as the program than one in get a positive response grade a single already expressed their desire Dobush organize a program in in in from the Lamont County which has been operation classroom] from several to send their children to the Lamont County?" school Edmonton schools since 1974. authorities to the Ukrainian parents. Ukrainian bilingual program in The parents' group in La- bilingual The parents received approval However, a spokesperson for Lamont, while program proposal other parents mont has indicated in principle for the proposal that it is within the next several weeks. from the School Board, subject " to sufficie-* — nent in the program. Students meet in Regina Lamont County contains a significant portion of the areas, Mark Ferbey northeast of Edmonton, which encompasses the Ukrainian bloc settlement region of cen- tral Alberta. The area surroun- Western conference: "Good job!" ding the town of Lamont in- cludes some of the oldest The 1980 SUSK historic Western Con- theme was "Ukrainian- emotionally-based settlements of the first , the proposals of the Quebec ference was held 7-9 March at Canadian emigration of Ukrainians who identity." Paul audience responded with government." the University of Regina. The Cipywnyk came to Canada during the of Saskatoon generally warm applause. Another resolution remind- thirty-odd delegates in atten- presented the key-note address 1890s. The Lamont region still A buzz-group discussion ed the Ukrainian Canadian dance, representing four on retains a high concentration of "Ukrainian-Canadian identi- following Cipywnyk's presenta- Committee (UCC) executive of Western universities, worked ty," during Ukrainian-speaking people as a which he often tion produced some specific the 1977 Ukrainian Canadian together in a romantic blend of referred to touching proportion of its total popula- anecdotes observations on Ukrainian- Committee tri-annual Congress work and play which came to of tion, but among the younger his own experiences. Canadian culture. Everything resolution which recognized characterize the conference. Although critics generation there is the same some felt his from the 'evils' of ethnic inter- the need for UCC financial The conference's major talk was overly drastic decline in the ability to intuitive and marriage to more key issues support for SUSK, and resolved such as the reality communicate in Ukrainian as is of the Ukrai- that 2 percent of the UCC nian evident in most other parts of Canadian Committee's budget should be forwarded to Canada. representing only 10,000 SUSI' f or its activities. Under the terms of the Ukrainian-Canadians (the tip of A following resolution Alberta School Act, provision is the Ukrainian-Canadian called on all Ukrainian Cana- made for the establishment of "iceberg") were discussed with dian organizations, and es- partial immersion programs in great interest. pecially the UCC to assert the Ukrainian language, begin- SUSK business sessions support for the 'External ning in were held on Grade 1 , for up to 50 per Sunday afternoon, Representation' of the Kiev cent of the school day. In the with most club locals taking a Public Group to Promote the bilingual classes in Edmonton, very active role in the Implementation of the Helsinki Ukrainian is used as a language proceedings. Time was also Accords, in the persons of of instruction in subjects such alloted to In Struggle's Andy General Petro Hryhorenko as Ukrainian language arts, Shadrack, who presented a (head), Leonid Ptyushch and social studies, music, art and brief talk on Quebec's right to Nina Strokata, "and to resist the physical education, while self-determination and sparked attempts being made to divert some English-language instruction is opposing views from attention of Ukrainians in the provided in cnglish language members of Saskatchewan un- West from a redoubled cam- arts, mathematics and science. iversities. They quickly sub- paign of repression of op- " The bilingual' program mitted the first resolution pass- positionists in Ukraine emphasizes the development of ed that afternoon on the " A final resolution concern- listening, speaking, reading and Quebec referendum, which ed itself with the Soviet invasion writing skills in both languages, stated that the 1980 SUSK of Afghanistan. The resolution as well as the spontaneous use Western Conference "supports supported the immediate of Ukrainian. the right of individuals to self- withdrawal of Soviet forces Comprehensive school determination, but not the right from Afghanistan, and the right board evaluations since 1975 of Quebec to determine the of the Afghani people to self- have demonstrated that destiny of the whole Canadian government without in- children in the Ukrainian nation." The motion was terference from foriegn powers. carried, bilingual program do as well in reflecting its sup- Furthermore, a position was English-language subjects as porters' strong Canadian elaborated with respect to the do unilingual children. In addi- nationalism. Regardless the 1980 summer Olympics, tion, they learn to appreciate conference also passed a se- suggesting that "athletes atten- the Ukrainian language, cond resolution on Quebec's ding the games protest the customs, music, and culture in right to self determination. It Afghanistan invasion by refus- general. The program ultimate- was resolved "that the 1980 ing to take part in the opening ly alms to provide children with SUSK Western Conference and closing ceremonies and the opportunity to learn to recognizes the right of self- other symbolic acts of protest." communicate effectively in determination of the Quebec It should be mentioned that a Ukrainian.