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READERS SOUND OFF 

02 March, 00:00

What Would I Like to Change in Ukraine We remind all our readers who are 8 to 18 years old and have not sent yet their letters to the contest, the topics are "What would I like to change in Ukraine?" and "What would I like to do for Ukraine?" We may not be publish your letter at once, for we have already received the letters from very many of your coevals. But before the contest deadline (that is June, 1) we will certainly publish all interesting ideas. Good luck! A Country Losing Its Dignity It pains me greatly to live in the country that is little by little losing its dignity. My parents both have a higher education and work in state structures. They earn just enough to buy food and to cover the banal necessities.

It pains me that I cannot go to music school because we cannot afford it. And I sincerely sympathize with Mother who always puts off buying a new blouse. I am sorry for our neighbor, Aunt Tania who barely survives on her pension. It offends me when my teacher is fined in a tram for not having money to buy a ticket. I could name many other wrongs here. And I see the reason for our society's insolvency in bad governance.

We are governed by those who are patriots to their own pockets. Why do top officials move abroad large sums of money and what for?

Why does my classmate Vovochka come to school and go home in his father's company Mercedes? Because our authorities let some individuals dispose of the unpaid miners', metallurgists' and oil workers' job. This is why Vovochka's dad can afford a summer vacation in Italy, winter vacation in the Alps and 1080 hryvnias for a tennis club, though he does not own a small farm, like my Uncle Edik in Poland who feeds us with cured fillet of sturgeon.

What would I change in Ukraine? I want us to be governed by worthy, intelligent, conscientious people, able to count and provide everyone with the basic subsistence basket.

I want them to live as God taught us: do unto others as you would have others to do unto you. I want to live in a sound, civilized, and affluent society!
Maryna Mitina, 14 years old, Dnipropetrovsk

Let Robots Work the Mines 1. I would ban public smoking and littering in the streets.

2. I would make riding the streetcars, buses, and trollies free.

3. I would pay old people the money for pensions they deserve.

4. I would build shelters for stray dogs and cats.

5. I would do everything so my mother could spend more time at home, not at work.

6. And I would send robots to work in mines, not living miners.
Maryna DOBROVOLSKA, 8 years old, Kyiv.

It is Bad Without the Beauty of Flowers I think, to make our country beautiful, people should be concerned about nature. Nobody should uproot plants, event those that grow in forests! Because somebody can come and live there, and those people will feel bad without floral beauty!

To make our country happy and rich, people should work more and be paid adequately. And the President should take care not only of himself but of others, too. I don't like the politicians' permanent arguments, I want to have peace in our country!
Katia CHORNOLUTSKA, 7 years old, Kyiv.

People Should Be Less Aggressive The biggest problem that I see these days is the lack of respect and sometimes even injustice from some teachers. I know that everywhere one can meet adults who do not consider children and minors to be real people. Maybe they do not say it directly but sooner or later it comes out. I think, it is because when they were children they were treated by grownups the same way. But on to other things. Lack of respect by some teachers hurts pupils. And when somebody tries to deny it, the discussion develops into an argument. I need not say how badly this affects the teacher's and the student's general condition. A person gets nervous, irritable, and may accidentally offend someone. Thus misunderstanding between teacher and student increases the number of nervous and aggressive people. That is what I would like to change. I want people to be less aggressive and treat little troubles with humor. But such traits have to be cultivated from childhood. For the relations between teachers and students, and among people in general should be based on mutual respect and understanding.

I will do my best to become a psychoanalyst, and I would open courses for teachers where they would be trained to treat today's children right, explain their psychology, and how they think. Teachers would get an explanation what should be punished and what can be simply discussed in private - and how.

And one more thing that I would do if I became a psychologist. I would conduct special classes for the pupils of junior grades. I would teach the children the principles of ethics and communication, how to get rid of their complexes, and to treat little troubles with humor.

I hope, such steps will let grow many generations of honest, responsible, calm, good people, ready to help those who need it and without aggression and complexes. I am sure, such people will help Ukraine overcome all the difficulties.
Yuliya BORSIUK-VASYLIEVA, 8th grade, Kyiv

Newspaper output №:

№8, (1999)

Section

Culture