Lukas: Ready or Not, High Schools Must Switch
Education minister Tõnis Lukas has reiterated that Russian-language upper secondary schools must comply with the transition to 60 percent Estonian-language instruction this fall.
The schools are considered to vary widely in readiness - some are fully prepared, but at other schools there is a sense of trepidation about whether teachers have the requisite training.
ETV reported that the topic generated the most questions at a meeting between Minister of Education and Research Lukas and an association of student governments from Russian-language schools on February 3.
Though some continue to challenge the principles behind the changeover, most of the questions still concerned practical aspects, according to ETV.
Ljubov Rukovitshkina, a student at a downtown Tallinn Russian school said that her school is all set for the transition. Julia Dikanjova, a student at another Tallinn Russian school, said: "I think more time should be given to students [for the transition] and they should also be taught subjects in Estonian on the lower secondary level to better enable them to study in Estonian in upper secondary school."
The more strident opponents of the changeover among parents have become consolidated in another organization called the Council of Russian Schools. "What is strange about this reform is that in a country with one official language, Estonian, there was no attempt to raise the teaching of Estonian as a subject to the necessary level. That is the root of all the problems," said Oleg Nazmutdinov, a member of the Council.
Minister Lukas said there can be no more putting off the reform and that lamentations are heard more from the mouths of politicians than students or teachers.
"I was at a Russian-language school yesterday where I was asked not under any circumstance to put off the reform, as part of the schools have made the preparations and they would be left in a very strange situation if another time extension were granted," he said.
Lukas said one-quarter of children from Russophone families are already studying in Estonian-language schools or language immersion classes.