MPs Advocate Mixed Schools for Better Integration
The integration process in Estonia would be better served by opening mixed schools where children of different linguistic backgrounds would study together, Parliament members Paul-Eerik Rummo and Mart Meri told members of the Open Republic youth organization at a November 24 forum in Tallinn.
"We are going to reach that result whether or not it's written into the government's integration program," said Rummo, who is member of the ruling Reform Party and a former Minister of Population Affairs.
Rummo said that because of the shrinking number of schools around the country, it was likely that children whose mother tongue was Russian would end up studying in schools where the majority spoke Estonian and vice versa. He said he would welcome that development, which would blur the decades-long division whereby children in the country study in either Estonian-language or Russian-language schools.
Meri, who belongs to the opposition Social Democratic Party, agreed with the view, adding that the nation would also benefit from the rise of a couple Russian "elite" schools, a designation used for the handful of top-flight grade schools around Estonia.
The MPs' comments came as part of Open Republic's annual Citizens' Day forum, wherein young people hold discussions with politicians and public leaders. This year's event, which attracted over 100 participants, focused on the development of Estonia over the last 20 years and perspectives for the next 20, including the role of ethnic minorities in society.
Steve Roman