Estonia to stop funding Russian-language education

Estonia will stop funding Russian-language education, the Estonian parliament announced on Jan. 15, citing Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.

The Estonian government reportedly intends to switch to a "unified Estonian-language education" system, meaning it will no longer dedicate funds toward supporting Russian-language schools.

"It's written in the Constitution: the state language of Estonia is Estonian, and everyone has the right to study in the Estonian language," Kallas said, adding that Estonia has no desire to "Russify" the state's children.

Kallas said the move is aimed at encouraging more people to use the Estonian language and to ensure that all Estonians become part of a "unified information space."

Estonia began transitioning toward a unified Estonian-language education system in December 2022 following the implementation of a new bill, aiming to reduce the number of schools in the country teaching primarily in the Russian language.

According to the bill, a full transition will be finalized by 2033.

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