Latvia will not teach Russian in schools

The Latvian government has approved a new state education standard: Russian will no longer be taught in schools as a second foreign language.

About this on April 23 reported Delfi edition – Russian language will disappear from the schedules of Latvian schools. However, the process will be gradual, although schoolchildren already studying Russian who do not want to continue may refuse further classes.

The document provides for the gradual removal of Russian from the list of languages ​​studied as a second foreign language. Schoolchildren who are already studying it will continue until graduation, and from September 1, 2025, in the fifth grade, only one of the languages ​​of the member countries can be chosen as a second foreign language EU, European Economic Area and other countries with which there are relevant intergovernmental agreements on education. There is no Russian language among them.

Evika Silina, the country's prime minister, commented on the decision succinctly: “Finally!” During the discussion and adoption of the law, the ministry had many objections from private individuals, but they were not taken into account.

Delfi writes that most often Latvian schoolchildren start learning English as a foreign language from the first grade, and from the fourth grade they choose another one, and in practice quite often this language becomes Russian. The reason for choosing Russian as a second foreign language is not always desire – often schools simply lack teachers of other languages. According to the Latvian Ministry of Education, Russian is taught in almost half of the country's schools, and yet some students have no alternative.

Meanwhile, Estonia plans to stop funding education in Russian. And the majority of Ukrainians believe that the Russian language should be removed from official communication.

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