World News for Students of English

28-02-2025 07:00

Estonia has a large Russian-speaking minority that previously studied in Russian. However, after Russia invaded Ukraine, the government introduced a reform to make Estonian the only language of instruction.

Schools had been moving towards this change for decades, but political concerns and Russian influence delayed full implementation. Now, Russian-speaking students, like eight-year-old Victoria, are learning all subjects in Estonian. While some have support at home, many struggle because their families don’t speak Estonian. This is especially challenging in areas where Russian is dominant.

The reform aims to improve education equality, as Russian-speaking students previously performed worse than their Estonian-speaking peers.

Estonia ranks among the top in global education, but differences remain between urban, rural, and Russian-language schools. The goal is to give all students equal opportunities, including access to Estonian universities. Despite the difficulties, Victoria is determined to succeed in Estonian, knowing it will help her future.

Difficult words: implementation (putting a plan into action), dominant (strongest or most common), peer (a person of the same age, status, or ability).

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