Teacher To Minister Ivants: Let Him Stand At The Teacher's Desk For A Couple Of Months
- 21.08.2026, 22:10
The official lives in some kind of parallel reality.
Minister of Education Andriy Ivanets gave a lengthy interview in which he spoke at length about tutors, parents, and bullying at school. Some of his statements caused quite a stir on social media. In a column for Zerkalo", math teacher and tutor Tatyana Krapinevich explains:
— When I read the interview, I, too, had the feeling that Andrei Ivanets lives in some kind of parallel reality. And when he said that every parent should be able to explain homework to their child, I even laughed. I pictured a plumber (a wonderful profession, no offense intended) who comes home after work and sits down to explain similar triangles to his son or daughter. Honestly, even for me, a math teacher, it’s pretty hard to explain that—and here the father is supposed to break it all down and help solve the problem. Isn’t that funny?
But that’s only if you look at the situation superficially. But if you dig a little deeper—it’s no laughing matter. You have to admit, no one tells a plumber how to fix a siphon or anything else, but anyone will come up to a teacher and say, “You graded my child incorrectly” or “You didn’t explain it right.” Everyone tells teachers how they should do their jobs. Perhaps this stems from the fact that even those in leadership (read: the Ministry) believe that any parent can replace a teacher—and that it’s even their (mothers’ and fathers’) duty. Shifting the responsibility for what the education system cannot handle onto families has its consequences. What, then, is the value of a teacher if a plumber can do their job so easily? Why, then, should a child go to school if a parent can and should explain the curriculum to them?
Tatyana Krapinevich offered some advice to Minister Ivants:
— I would advise him to try standing at a teacher’s desk for at least a couple of months and explain his subject—chemistry—to the children. And not at an elite school, but somewhere in the middle of nowhere. And see how it all works—the curriculum, the textbooks, and interacting with students. Then, perhaps, he’ll gain a different perspective on giftedness, tutoring, and education in general.
And, of course, it would be worth attending parent-teacher conferences, helping the children with their homework, and joining the school chat group. It’s best to do this under a pseudonym, though, or else the class will immediately form a parallel group—one without him. All of this would help the department head get closer to the school, rather than distancing himself from it, so that his interviews don’t stir up controversy later on.