Ukrainian girl forced to sing "Kalinka" in Finnish school: mother outraged. VIDEO
The mother of an 11-year-old Ukrainian girl, Iryna Horkun-Silen, said that her daughter was forced to sing in Russian at a Finnish school during a music lesson.
This was reported by Yle, according to Censor.NET.
Details
"It was a music lesson, the children were learning about Russian music and everyone had to sing the song 'Kalinka'. Nicole explained that she is Ukrainian and does not want to use the Russian language. The teacher replied that 'we don't talk about war at school'," the woman said.
Horkun-Silen is a flute player herself and has lived in Finland for a long time. Her husband is Finnish, and Nicole was born in Finland.
"Nicole understood that she would get a bad grade for not performing the song, so she sang it. But the situation really affected her. What if she had been a Ukrainian child whose parents had been killed by Russians?" she asks.
According to her, the song "Kalinka" itself became famous after being performed by the Soviet Army choir.
What does the school say?
Ellinor Hellman, headmistress of Storängen School in Espoo, said she could not comment on individual cases.
According to her, the school accepts all children regardless of their origin and adheres to the national curriculum.
"In subjects such as music, students may encounter a variety of cultural expressions, selected with pedagogical care and sensitivity to the context of the class. Teachers are encouraged to respond thoughtfully to pupils' questions, taking into account the needs of the whole group," she replied.
Heidi Ruonala, a lawyer with the Finnish National Agency for Education, believes that in the context of the war in Ukraine, certain content may evoke strong emotions, and it would be good to work through these emotions with pupils.
"If a pupil finds an assignment or song unpleasant in music class, for example, for personal or family reasons, the teacher has pedagogical freedom of action and the opportunity to take flexible measures, such as choosing an alternative song, an accompaniment assignment, or another way to participate," she added.
Reaction of the Ukrainian community
"We are deeply saddened by this situation. It also raises the question of whether Russian culture should be promoted in schools," said Vasyl Hutsul, chairman of the Ukrainian Society in Finland.
The Russian language is not neutral; for Ukrainians, it is associated with violence, war and oppression, says Eilina Husatynska from the Culture Foundation.
"The Russian language carries historical and symbolic baggage - traces of Russification and the suppression of Ukrainian identity. Without awareness of this, it is easy to unintentionally reproduce the old colonial model, where Ukrainian culture is once again overshadowed by the so-called common post-Soviet space," she explained.
