Russian Speakers Struggling Most in School
New research has found that the nation's Russian-speaking school children are having to work harder to keep up with their coursework compared with their Estonian-speaking counterparts, and that their parents are far more likely to resort to hiring tutors.
In a study of 12- to 17-year-old students by Open Society Institute sociologist Iris Pettai, a majority responded that they were having trouble coping with at least one subject, but the figures were more bleak for Russian-speakers.
"Those in the most difficult situation turned out to be Russian children who study in Estonian-curriculum Schools, followed by students in Russian schools. Parents of Russian students spend more time helping their children study - 12 percent of them hire tutors, while among Estonian parents that number is only 2 percent," Pettai told rus.err.ee.
While most schools in the country teach in the national language, a large minority use Russian as the primary language of instruction. Efforts to shift more instruction into Estonian in the Russophone schools have proven problematic for a variety of reasons, including parents' objections and staffing shortages. Nevertheless Education Minister Tõnis Lukas has mandated that at least 60 percent of instruction in upper secondary schools be given in Estonian beginning this fall.
In early February Lukas said that one-quarter of children from Russophone families are already studying in Estonian-language schools or language immersion classes.
Pettai's study found that parents and students alike were less likely to trust the quality of education provided by schools where Russian is the primary language of instruction.
But for those who decide to switch to Estonian schools, the price can be high. On average, Russian students in those schools endure more than two hours per day of additional instruction, slightly less if they are in an immersion program, the study revealed.
"It turns out that Russian children are studying more than Estonians," said Pettai. "The example of these children shows how difficult it is for them to study, and how much work and resources need to be invested into their education. In my view, for the transition to having 60 percent of subjects taught in Estonian it's necessary to prepare an entire support system: teachers who will help with the studies, social workers and psychologists. For the transition to be successful, additional resources are needed."