There are over 20,000 Ukrainians in Scotland and many of them are women and children. The kids attend our local schools, but it is important that they keep
up with their own Ukrainian language, music, and culture.
That is why St. Mary’s Ukrainian School has expanded into Glasgow, marking its first branch in Scotland. They meet on Saturdays in facilities generously provided by Clyde College. So it is a long school week if you are a Ukrainian young person!
Around 90 young Ukrainians are registered with the school and John visited them at the start of November. He was shown around the different classes by Father Andriy Chornenko, who is based at St Michael’s Church in Gallowgate. The youngsters certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves operating in a Ukrainian environment for the day. It is a huge advantage being bi-lingual from a young age. After the visit John said, “I was hugely impressed by the enthusiasm I saw today… both on the part of the pupils and of the teachers.
While we want all of them to feel at home here in Scotland, we also want them to keep strong ties with their Ukrainian homeland, language and culture. Having lived abroad myself, I can understand how important it is to have strong links both with where your current home is and with where your roots are.”
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