UNDP in Ukraine

Although similar contests on product testing by youth have become very popular over 10 years ago in European countries like Germany and Austria, Ukraine hosted the competition for the very first time. It was preceded by introduction of a Consumer Essentials course into secondary schools curricula, which will help students from 1 till 12 form gradually master consumer basics and acquire ample consumer culture.

Depending on their age, the school-children in 6-11 forms were to choose a category among "Youth tests quality" and "Green consumption". Main winners received certificates of different value to be later changed for appliances or electronic goods to their liking in one of the sypermarkets of electronics. Special nominations received flash memory sticks. All contestants received diplomas.

The contest aimed at raising consumer awareness among young people, improving their knowledge about the modern market of consumer goods and services and fostering of educated consumer behaviour.

Representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine also support the idea of testing contests because they encourage children to be ready to actively participate in the economic life of the country being based on development of practical skills of youth.

"Having strong consumer competencies is a requirement of today, we are living in society which is governed by principles of market economy and children have to be aware of these principles from a very young age", - says Nataliya Beskova, Head of department of humanities at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

Between 20 February and 20 April, the students from secondary, vocational schools and extracurricular learning establishments had an opportunity to take part in the contest. The jury comprised representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, consumer NGOs and mass media.

The judges applied criteria of creativity, persuasiveness and timeliness of the topic to identify 6 winners in 2 categories: from 12 to 14 years - "Green consumption"; from 15 to 17 years - "Youth tests quality".

Altogether the contest attracted more than 700 works from all regions of Ukraine. Winning papers dwelled upon comparative testing of event-services, quality of highlighters and virtual reports banks.

Young contestants also provided ideas on further usage of car tires, utilization of mobile phone batteries and environmental friendliness of school utensils etc.

"The bulk of works received during the contest are of great value and interest; they are remarkable for a high degree of mastership and deserve separate recognition. Such works will find theirs readers on the Consumer Portal, and will be seen during planned exhibitions in UN House, Education Ministry and mass media", - says Klavdia Maksimenko, Consumer Society Project manager.

Apart from topics typically of interest to school-children, such as quality of delicacies, chocolate, chips and chewing gums, contestants also tackled upon issues of safety and quality of various foodstuffs, food additives, cosmetic products, polymer tableware and other. The service area of research covered quality of transport services, hairdressers, school canteens, public libraries and even city toilets.

In addition to 6 major winners, the jury singled out some 7 other special nominations, being "The most sporting test" for comparative testing of brakes for highland bicycles, "For consumer scrupulousness" for the test of nail enamels, "The best ecodetective investigation" highlighting peculiarities of packaging and domestic waste.

All this gives a hope to the contest organisers that balanced approach to sustainable consumption is a matter of a decade for Ukrainian youth.

All-Ukrainian contest "Youth tests quality" to identify best research in the field of testing was initiated by the joint EU-UNDP project Consumer Society and Citizen Networks in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Ministry of Education of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, departments of education and science of Regional, Kyiv and Sevastopol city state administrations. Partners to the contest were also German Institute for Research and Testing Stiftung Warentest (Germany, Berlin) and Consumеrs International (Great Britain, London).

Find more information at www.consumerinfo.org or call tel. (+38044) 253 67 05.