9 Russian-Language Schools to Postpone Meeting Education Requirements
Tallinn City Government intends to request the state to make an exception and allow nine out of 22 Russian-language upper secondary schools to continue teaching in Russian and not adopt the 60 percent Estonian-language curriculum, required by the education reform legislation.
Russian-speaking students finish their lower-secondary school with a B1-level language skill, which is not enough to start learning necessary high school subjects in Estonian next fall, Yana Toom, deputy mayor of Tallinn told ETV.
According to Education Act, if a school wants to teach in a language other than Estonian, the school board must submit a request to the government, said Toom.
"This is what all nine schools did, on the grounds of children not speaking enough Estonian, the lack of qualified teachers and the need to have a choice. We hope the ministry will comply," said Toom.
According to the Minister of Education and Research Tõnis Lukas, allowing for an exception in this case is not right, as study conditions are equal in all Tallinn schools, and the decision would be unfair towards those who have put effort into meeting all the requirements.
Ingrid Teesalu