Heads of Estonian schools are discussing work with Ukrainian students who are taught in Estonian and have difficulties with learning, writes ERR News.
20 Ukrainians study at the basic school in Türi. In addition to regular subjects, they also learn Estonian twice a week. Ave-Maria Toots, the school’s special education coordinator, stated that the student’s skills depend largely on the family’s attitude. Those students whose families accept that their home is currently in Estonia are more motivated.
In this school year, the achievements of Ukrainian children were not graded. Some families feel that their children have lost a year of school because they were placed in a class of their age group and not according to the knowledge gained in Ukraine. Ukrainian teacher Ljubov Stepanova admitted that complaints were heard in the beginning, but
many are happy about the opportunity to learn Estonian,
and added that the best way to do it is to be in an Estonian environment.
40 Ukrainians study at Tallinna Südalinna School, and the school has extensive experience in teaching foreign children. The director of the school, Veiko Rohunurm, said that immigrants who only know their native language learn the language faster. If it is possible to communicate in English, the motivation to learn Estonian decreases. In Tallinna Südalinna School, a separate 5th grade has been created for Ukrainians, however, the director says that the Estonian language skills are not yet good enough to pass all the year-end exams.
Younger students usually have no problems, but motivation decreases in older classes. Ingar Dubolazov, who is responsible for the transition to teaching in the national language at the Ministry of Education and Research, said that with parental consent, a student can repeat a school year in the same class, which is a common approach to improve performance. However, if the parents don’t agree, the student is transferred to the next class, regardless of the level of knowledge and skills.
The Ministry of Education and Research treats all immigrant children equally, with the idea that they will continue to live in Estonia in the near future, and offers additional language learning classes. In the fall, Estonia will switch to education only in the national language, and schools where only Ukrainians study will not be an exception.
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