Russian Speakers Protest Against Curriculum
Around 100 people gathered in downtown Tallinn on Saturday to rally against the transition to 60 percent Estonian-language curriculum imposed on Russian-language high schools this year.
Deputy Mayor of Tallinn Mihhail Kõlvart, MP Yana Toom and members of the local Russian political activist group Night Watch also attended the demonstration, organized by the non-profit group Russian School in Estonia.
According to Toom, out of the 22 Russian-language schools in Tallinn, at least five to six should be given the opportunity to continue teaching in Russian with the taxpayer footing the bill.
Prior to the beginning of the school year, a number of high schools requested the Ministry of Education to exempt them from the mandatory transition, yet so far, the requests are still being reviewed.
The lack of customized Estonian-language textbooks and poor language proficiency both among students and teachers, are said to be the main reasons why Russian-language schools are struggling with the regulation that foresees a transition to teaching 60 percent of classes in Estonian in three years.
The 60 percent rule does not affect private schools.
Ingrid Teesalu