Tiny Southeastern Estonian high school closures threat to Võro language
According to advocates for the minority Finno-Ugric Võro language, the closure of smaller high schools in Southeastern Estonia could also mean the loss of the opportunity to teach students Võro language and literature as an elective.
While students at smaller high schools in the Vana-Võromaa region have the opportunity to take study the Võro language and literature as an elective, it still hasn't been possible to introduce the regional language at the area's bigger state high schools, said Võru Institute director Rainer Kuuba.
"In that sense, things have gone worse at Võru and Põlva high schools," Kuuba explained. "In 2016 and 2017, we drew up elective courses, but the thing in schools there is that students are offered a lot of electives. In 2016, for example, Võru High School offered a whole 50 electives. We needed at least 16 interested students to open a course, but unfortunately there were fewer than 16 [students] interested in the Võro language and culture, and so the course wasn't held."
Although the Võro language isn't taught at Võru's state high school, the school is nonetheless working on developing a course to introduce students to the distinctive characteristics of the local culture, said Võru High School principal Karmo Kurvits.
"We're working on developing a core course for our youngest, tenth-grade students, where we not only teach the Võro language, but also try to highlight and pass regional characteristics on to them," Kurvits said.
On the other hand, the high school in Vastseliina has been offering Võro language and literature for over a decade, and their students' interest in the local regional language is very much alive, said Küllike Nagel, director of studies at Vastseliina High School.
"When we first started, we had a lot more students," Nagel recalled. "We had three fields of study at the time, and the student could choose, and I'd say most chose the Võro language. Perhaps also because it was easier compared to other subjects; it was an elective. But right now, drafting will be at the same time, and I guess the boys who want to go on to study in technical fields will choose drafting, and the rest will take Võro-language literature. But this year, all students are taking Võro-language literature."
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Editor: Mait Ots, Aili Vahtla
