The Minister of Education Speaks Russian at School: Why This in Estonia and Not Here? 0 13

This step has sparked widespread discussion among neighbors.

Liisi Laanemets, a teacher of Estonian language and literature at the Kohtla-Järve Gymnasium, wrote on social media that she witnessed an interesting event at the graduation ceremony at the gymnasium.

"Speaking before the graduates of an Estonian-language school in Ida-Viru County, Minister of Education Kristina Kallas delivered part of her speech in Russian. This can certainly be explained in several ways. The minister speaks Russian. She wanted to thank the parents, some of whom might not understand Estonian. Elections are approaching. One could talk about politeness, engagement, or regional specificity. Perhaps something else," wrote teacher Laanemets.

She noted that in recent years, the importance of the language environment, examples, and symbols has been repeatedly emphasized in educational policy. "The choice of symbols during the most solemn moments in an Estonian-language school deserves even more attention. That is why it was not the main content of the minister's speech that stood out, but rather a few words of thanks in Russian. For me, as a teacher of Estonian language and literature, this was very eloquent," said Laanemets.

"For years, teachers have been told that the language environment, examples, and symbols matter. But if it is deemed necessary to deviate from this principle at a graduation ceremony in an Estonian-language school, then the question arises as to how seriously the state itself takes its reform," emphasized the teacher.

Minister of Education and Science Kallas confirmed to the Postimees portal that she delivered her speech at the Kohtla-Järve State Gymnasium in Estonian. "At the end of my speech, I thanked the grandparents and parents who supported their children's education in Estonian and contributed to their children receiving an education in Estonian with two sentences in Russian," Kallas explained.

"The transition to Estonian-language education is a decision that has been postponed in Estonia for more than 30 years, but which the current government is finally implementing. I believe it is right to express gratitude to those families who supported this change and contributed to making education in Estonia unified and Estonian-language," stated Kallas.

The director of the Kohtla-Järve Gymnasium, Aet Kruuzimägi, emphasized in a comment to Postimees that the minister's speech at the graduation ceremony was in Estonian. "The minister's speech at the graduation ceremony was in Estonian, and she indeed thanked the parents for their contributions in both Estonian and Russian languages," said Kruuzimägi.

"For our teachers, the daily work is to support the development of Estonian language skills among young people whose native language differs from Estonian and to help them receive education in an Estonian-language learning environment. This is a responsible and often challenging task," acknowledged the director.

We ask the Minister of Education of Latvia: "Would you dare to do such a thing? Ah, Ilze Indrikson?"