On the occasion of the upcoming Educators' Day, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented state awards to educators and also awarded certificates for the President's Prize to the winners of international student Olympiads and their mentors.
The President said that this year, the professional day of educators is very special as it coincides with the Day of Defenders of Ukraine and the Protection of the Mother of God, which gives it a profound meaning.
"The principled stance of a warrior is almost always an extension of the principles of your family and your teacher. Any opportunities a state provides are always a reflection of the knowledge and talents of its people and their ability to realize these talents. What people defend: light or darkness, decency or evil, life or captivity – it's all what they learned and were taught. It can be taught remotely or in person, but it must always be sincere; otherwise, it simply won't work," the President said, addressing educators.
He said that from educators, be it a caregiver, teacher, lecturer, or mentor, people gain more than just knowledge and skills at various stages of their lives; they acquire character, principles, and values.
"Many of us were fortunate with teachers. Ukraine was fortunate to have educators like you – teachers, caregivers, lecturers, and mentors. We all see what you can do when we see what Ukraine can do – our people, our defenders," Zelenskyy said.
The President of Ukraine expressed gratitude to everyone present and to all Ukrainian educators and other education professionals for teaching children to be humane, educated, and brave, and thus, Ukrainians, despite everything and under any circumstances, even during air raid alerts.
On the occasion of Educators' Day, the Head of State awarded the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, V class, the Order of Merit, II and III classes, the Order of Princess Olga, I and III classes, and bestowed the honorary titles "People's Teacher of Ukraine" and "Honored Teacher of Ukraine."
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also presented certificates for receiving awards to the winners of international student Olympiads and their mentors, which are paid from the Fund of the President of Ukraine.
In 2023, in the conditions of war, Ukrainian school teams participated in seven international student Olympiads in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy and astrophysics, geography, and informatics, winning 28 medals of various categories: one gold, seven silver, and 20 bronze.
