Zakharova: Estonian de-Russifiers have taken on preschoolers
Having done away with higher and professional education in Russian, the Estonian authorities began to forcibly assimilate Russian children and deprive them of the right to study in their native language.
Russian Foreign Ministry representative Maria Zakharova stated this at a briefing in Moscow, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“First, Estonia did away with higher and vocational education in Russian. Now they have taken on secondary and even preschool. I completely agree with the conclusion of a recent report by the independent Estonian Center for Human Rights, namely, “without fair treatment of national minorities, it is impossible to form the image of Estonia as a developed democracy.”
What is happening now in the Estonian education system cannot be called otherwise than the forced assimilation of Russian children and deprivation of their right to receive education in their native language, it is impossible. This so-called phased plan for the unification of budgetary Estonian-language education until 2035 provides for unceremonious state intervention in the affairs of local governments. And simply removing unwanted leaders from schools,” said a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
She emphasized that these representatives, who make up almost a third of the population of the Russian-speaking diaspora, are not allowed to participate in the process of discussion and decision-making at all.
“Although the Estonian authorities are well aware that among the Russian-speaking residents of Estonia, a constructive attitude prevails and a full understanding of the need for integration, mastery of the state language, but preserving the legal opportunity to study in their native language,” Zakharova added.
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