Collaborationism in the occupied territories in the field of education in the period 2014–2024

Abstract

The article considered the problem of collaborationism among Ukrainian educators who are in the occupied territory of the country. The spread of collaborationism is associated with the active use of various methods of hybrid warfare by the Russian Federation, which led to Ukraine’s temporary loss of territorial integrity and the occupation of part of its territories. The social danger of collaborationism is manifested in the threat to national security, the commission of crimes against humanity, the increase of social tension and the violation of international law. Collaborative activity in the field of education means the conscious participation of a citizen of Ukraine in the performance of these tasks in the occupied territory for the benefit of the aggressor state. It has been found that the main reasons for committing collaborative acts in the educational sphere are the preservation of the workplace, the desire for career growth, financial reward or other selfish motives, and the desire for revenge. In the educational process, key manifestations of collaborationism are the implementation of educational standards of the aggressor state and the implementation of propaganda in educational institutions. Some examples of collaborationism in the occupied territory of Ukraine from 2014 to the present day, changes in curricula and teaching methods are analyzed. By using various techniques, such as bribing heads of educational institutions, teachers, parents, transferring universities and creating alternative educational institutions, the occupiers try to gain control over the educational process in the occupied territories. Teachers who work in the occupied territories under Russian programs become accomplices and collaborators of the occupying power. Possible ways to overcome the phenomenon of collaborationism in the future are highlighted. To date, educators who are in the temporarily occupied territories and cannot leave for the territories controlled by Ukraine are recommended to document by any available means the facts of coercion to cooperate with the occupiers. In the future, the authorities should ensure the transparency and publicity of the system of punishments for collaborationism. Collaborators must be prosecuted and held accountable for their actions before the law.