“Steve Jobs’s generation” chooses intellect

For how long will the majority of Ukraine’s population be made by citizens infected by post-Soviet flaws? When will the number of Ukrainians who would love their country efficiently and consistently and put efforts to develop it reach a critical mass? Many people tend to pin hopes on the positive result of the change of generations. In 2008 the All-Ukrainian Association of History and Social Studies Teachers “New Age” has held a nationwide survey of 11th grade students. The coevals of our independence named among the crucial factors, which determined their future, education they would obtain (72 percent), state of their health (67 percent), their personal strength and will (65 percent), and family support (56 percent). Significantly, the help of “necessary” people took one of the last places at the time.

The Day has just held in the regions its own cross-section of senior pupils’ opinions. Present-day students were born in an independent state. Besides, this is a full-fledged “generation of Steve Jobs,” the youth which is more knowledgeable about gadgets and Internet technologies than adults (sociological polls prove that 49 percent of the Internet users are people aged between 15 and 29). Of course, we did not set the task to make a thorough sociological analysis, still we have managed to fix some important moments. Intellect, independence, and science are the basic words of present-day schoolchildren The Day has talked to.

Our questions to the senior pupils were: What is your life project? In your opinion, how should Ukraine be changed? What role can you play in this process?

By Maria SEMENCHENKO, The Day

“THE MAIN TASKS FOR UKRAINE ARE CREATION OF A POWERFUL INFRASTRUCTURE, RAISING THE LIVING STANDARDS OF THE POPULATION, FIGHTING CORRUPTION, RESOLVING THE LANGUAGE QUESTIONS, AND PROPER FINANCING OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT”

Iryna DOBROVOLSKA, 10th grade student, Bohdan Lepky Gymnasium, Berezhany, Ternopil oblast:

“Certainly, first and foremost, I want to finish school with good marks, obtain higher education, and become a professional. Now I am 100 percent certain that my future profession will be about technical sciences. In this choice I have been greatly influenced by my participation in the educational project ‘German-Ukrainian Children’s Aerospace University,’ which operated in April in Munich and in September – in Kyiv. Namely there I developed interest in robotics, computer programming, aircraft design, and I learned the fundamentals of these subjects during the practical seminars and lectures, and got to know modern technologies in this branch. We designed robots and created computer programs. Unfortunately, such projects are very rare in Ukraine, and for the most part their funding is private initiative. At the moment the main tasks for Ukraine are creation of a powerful infrastructure, raising the living standards of the population, fighting corruption, resolving the language questions, and proper financing of the technological development. Hopefully, my generation will be able to complete them and experience a real progress. One also should keep in mind that each of us is a unique individual, like Vasyl Symonenko wrote, and Ukraine’s future depends on us. First and foremost, we need to turn our knowledge to the right direction, not to be lazy, honor the Ukrainian language, and have a command of foreign languages, be a nationally aware citizen. If I could realize myself in Berezhany, I mean if I had a job and prospects, I would like to work in my home town after graduation from a higher educational establishment and make my own contribution to its prosperity and development. I dream of establishing a robotics club here, whose participants learn would, about technical innovations. To some extent, that would be a forgery of scientific personnel.”

“YOUTH WITH ALL-ROUND ERUDITION IS ABLE TO CHANGE THE LIFE IN UKRAINE”

Maksym SEMENKO, 9th grade student, non-specialized school No. 12, Poltava:

“I want to obtain fundamental education and learn everything that refers to my future profession, sports journalism. I think that highly qualified specialists and youth with all-round erudition are able to change the life in Ukraine. Therefore present-day young generation should work on their self-education, lead a healthy lifestyle, which will help them realize all of their dreams. In the future I want to see Ukraine as a truly independent and economically developed state, whose citizens will be more patriotic, good-willing, and eager to help each other.”

“ONE NEEDS TO GUARANTY DECENT WORKING CONDITIONS FOR SCIENTISTS AND STOP THE FLOW OF INTELLECT FROM UKRAINE”

Maria MATULKO, 11th grade student, NVK “Lokachi Non-Specialized School of the 1st-3rd degrees,” Volynian oblast:

“What is my life project? First of all, I have to obtain wonderful education and become a highly-skilled specialist. Secondly, I must create a family to preserve and continue my family traditions. Thirdly, I seek self-assertion and self-realization. And finally, I want to balance all the spheres of my life and reach harmony.

“How I think we should change Ukraine? This is a very difficult question, which stirs a whirlwind of contradictory thoughts in my mind. Yes, I am a youth perfectionist and I prefer changes implemented by radical methods. But the changes that lead to oppression and humiliation of one’s native language and traditions are not my piece of cake.

“Of course, I cannot change the past, I can influence the present only partially, but the future is in my hands. And I want Ukraine both at home, and abroad to be perceived as a highly-developed, civilized European state. And for this aim one first of all needs to guaranty decent working conditions for scientists and stop the flow of intellect from Ukraine. Only young politicians motivated to law-making work by an active life stand rather than mercantile interests are able to do this.

“It is saddening and painful for me to observe people look for the reasons of their problems in someone or something, preferring to wait for the manna from heaven (frequently without any hope) instead of creating their present and change the world and themselves by persistent work. For Ukraine is not someone unknown, it is your parents, relatives, and friends, it is you. Therefore the first step to quality changes in Ukraine is in my opinion work on oneself.”

“WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT IS UNBEARABLE TO BE LIVING IN SUCH COUNTRY AND START CHANGING IT BY CHANGING OURSELVES FIRST”

Maryna MAZUR, 11th grade student, school No. 2, Cherkasy:

“I am directly connected with changes, because I have been a school president and I have tried to change the students of the school. For this purpose I initiated certain events aimed at changing the school and its students. I have made the first step to changes, albeit a difficult one. In the future I want to become a personality, I want to reach certain heights in my professional career, have a big and happy family, and faithful friends. Some people might say it is unreal, but I am trying to confidently pave my way to this. Ukraine is made by people, and to change the country we should change ourselves, our children and friends. Probably, we should think about the fact that it is unbearable to be living in such country and start changing it by changing ourselves first.”

“PROBABLY, I WILL SUCCEED IN OVERCOMING CANCER”

Sofia BOBOK, 15 years, 10th grade student, Ochah (Hearth) Lyceum, Kharkiv:

“I haven’t yet decided about my future plans. I want to be a criminal psychologist. This is a profession that helps to see the criminal inclinations of a person and, let’s say, prevent such person from taking state offices. But I am also attracted by the profession of an oncologist. Probably, I will succeed in overcoming cancer. As for Ukraine, I am not sure that either I or anyone else is able to change anything in the near future. Most likely, I will look for a job in Germany.”

“EVERYONE SHOULD START TO CHANGE HIMSELF”

Daryna ACHKASOVA, 11th grade student, Donetsk Non-Specialized School No. 19:

“It seems to me everyone should start to change himself, then everything will be changing around him. It is enough to decently bear the title of a human being, honestly do one’s work, and treat the surrounding people in a good-willing manner. I haven’t thought about the project of my life, although I am facing the really important problem of what university to enter. Namely this choice will determine my future.”

“I WANT TO BE USEFUL FOR MY COUNTRY AND BRING IT TO THE WORLD LEVEL WITH THE HELP OF PHYSICS AND MY INTELLECT”

Yelyzaveta BOZHATKINA, 11th grade student, Mykolaiv:

“I am going to enter a Kyiv university, I will be studying at the physics department. I want my country to be developed in all spheres. So I am going to develop science, I will work on a station where I can be useful for my country and bring it up to the world level, a really decent level, so that the life in our country improved. I will do so with the help of physics and my intellect.”

Prepared by Viktoria KOBYLIATSKA, Cherkasy; Larysa OSADCHUK, Ternopil; Natalia MALIMON, The Day, Lutsk; Serhii SHEBELIST, Poltava; Kateryna YAKOVLENKO, The Day, Donetsk; Olena SOKOLYNSKA, Kharkiv; The Day’s office in Mykolaiv