FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF UKRAINIAN COMMUNITY SCHOOLING IN THE STATE OF VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA AND IN NEW ZEALAND (1947–2025)

DOI 10.17721/2521-1706.2025.20.12

Nataliya Poshyvaylo-Towler,

Vice-President of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC), Head of the Educational Board of the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organisations(WFUWO), Melbourne, Australia

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2810-0981

Abstract. The article is devoted to the study of the formation, historical evolution, and contemporary state of Ukrainian community schooling in Melbourne (State of Victoria, Australia) and in New Zealand, beginning with the first post-World War II Ukrainian immigration waves, continuing through the period of, taking into account geographic distance from Ukraine, community structures, identity-preservation challenges, and changing migration dynamics.

The main goal of the research is to explore the development stages of Ukrainian community schooling centres (historically referred to as Ridna Shkola – “Native School”), their transformation under assimilation pressures, and their revitalisation through new waves of Ukrainian immigration. The article also defines the role of diaspora schools in sustaining Ukrainian national identity, language, and cultural knowledge outside the homeland.

The research methodology is based on interdisciplinary and systemic analytical frameworks, using general scientific research methods including analysis, synthesis, comparison, analogy, and historical-typological approaches.

Conclusions. The article identifies common institutional and community-driven challenges faced by Ukrainian diaspora schools globally, including motivation gaps, limited access to modern Ukrainian-language educational resources, pedagogical adaptation in diaspora contexts, volunteer staffing, and intergenerational identity engagement and management.

Key words: Australia, New Zealand, Melbourne, Ukrainian diaspora, Education, Ukrainian community schooling, Ukrainian studies, Ukrainian community.

Submitted: 16.07.2025

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