By TALLINN. Dec 19 (Interfax) – Estonia’s President Alar Karis has endorsed amendments to the law on the transition of Russian-language schools in the country to instruction in Estonian.
"Under the updated law, kindergartens and secondary schools’ 1st to 4th grades will be the first to switch to Estonian-language instruction in the 2024-2025 academic year," the presidential press service said.
Furthermore, starting from August 1, 2023, the heads of educational establishments will be required to know Estonian at the C1 level. Proficiency in the Estonian language will be included in qualification requirements for teachers and other educational workers from August 1, 2024.
Presently, in Estonia, where Russian-speaking residents account for around 25% of the population, children in schools for national minorities may study in their mother tongue up to the ninth grade. In high school, more than 60% of subjects are taught in the state language, and some 40% in the Russian language.
