Students to Present Minister With Language Transition Proposals
A group of student representatives from Russian-curriculum schools will meet with Minister of Education Jaak Aaviksoo today to present their ideas on how to reorganize the school system in light of the shift to Estonian-language instruction.
The Assembly of Student Representatives, which counts 53 member schools among its ranks, will propose the formation of large, bilingual upper secondary schools, at least in areas where there is a high concentration of Russian-speaking residents.
“Practically all of our members want to preserve Estonia's bilingual upper secondary schools, which would give graduates of [non-Estonian language] junior secondary schools the opportunity to receive part of their education in their native language,” the assembly's secretary general, Jevgeni Filatov, said.
The assembly is also advocating additional support for the language transition at the junior secondary level, since the current mandatory Estonian proficiency level for those leaving junior secondary school is too low to allow students to cope with studies in high school.
The students propose having assistant teachers provide consultation for students who need help with the language transition.
Steve Roman