Объединение «Русская Школа Эстонии» обратилось к Верховному комиссару ОБСЕ по национальным меньшинствам Кнуту Воллебеку в связи с принятыми Государственным собранием Эстонии в прошедший четверг, 18 апреля, поправок к Закону о частных школах.

В Объединении посчитали, что предпринимаемые попытки ограничения возможностей в сфере образования являются очередной убедительной иллюстрацией нежелания со стороны отдельных государственных структур говорить по существу вопроса о реализации прав русского меньшинства в Эстонии.

В обращении к Верховному комиссару содержится напоминание об очередном затягивании процесса принятия решений со стороны Министерства образования и науки ЭР по ходатайствам нескольких русских школ о сохранении русского языка в качестве основного языка преподавания на гимназической ступени. Ходатайства были поданы ещё весной 2012 года.

Помимо этого приводится выписка из стенограммы Государственного собрания, которая демонстрирует попытку обозначить потребности русской общины Эстонии в стенах парламента и её результат - непонимание или нежелание понимать сути задаваемых вопросов представителем одной из коалиционных партий. 

Обращение заканчивается призывом к Верховному комиссару помочь установить подлинный диалог в нашей стране, в котором бы учитывалось мнение русской общины Эстонии. Лицемерие и подавление инакомыслия должны быть осуждены с тем, чтобы открыть путь к сотрудничеству в нашем обществе.

Dear OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Mr. Vollebæk,

The state apparatus in our country continues to impose restrictions on Russian national minority for getting access to the education in our mother tongue.

Let us remind here that Constitution of  the Republic of Estonia and the Law of Basic and Secondary (LoBS) school make it possible to select language of instructions different than Estonian (in our case Russian) in a school.

Please also note that the history of Russian community and schools in our land has several centuries (back to the times when specialised educational institutions stated in principle to be established on a regular basis). By this statement, I just want to highlight that the issue is not something recent and foreign to our state. The schools with Russian language of instructions existed prior to this moment for centuries and the attack on the rights of Russian minority in Estonia came during last 20 years.

This day, 18.04.2013, has brought a result of one of the attacks by state apparatus on Russian minority - Estonian Parliament approved restrictions to the Private School Law (PSL), which impose additional barrier for our community to build private schools. It was an important step to try different mechanisms (among them also private schools) and to show the attitude in our state towards Russian minority. Instead of discussing the core matters and conditions in which our minority can exercise our constitutional right we get the change of Private Shcool Law.
* http://rus.postimees.ee/1206600/rijgikogu-prinjal-popravki-chastnuju-russkuju-shkolu-mozhno-otkryt-tolko-s-razreshenija-pravitelstva

I should mention here that apart to PSL, LoBS defines the procedure for selecting different than Estonian (Russian) language of instructions and (!) 4 schools in Tallinn have made such an appeal on 7th of May 2012. Where is the decision by our Ministry of Education and Science with respect to the appeals? There are no decision yet. This time it is actually taking even longer time than in 2011 to reply to the appeals, which violates in addition to the administration rules all the rules of so called good administration principles and common sense.

Few representatives of our minority in the parliament of Estonia try to convey our actual needs. Let me show the inadequate reaction demonstrated by the majority in response to those attempts. Below I will give a translation of the discussion in our Parliament (from the transcript) between two MPs - former 'minister of culture (and population)', a member of the one of the ruling parties (IRL) - Paul-Eerik Rummo and the member of the opposition party Yana Toom, who has tried to bring a common sense when discussing language of instructions in our schools. The discussion took place on Wednesday 17.04.2013.

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Toom: Respected speaker! I have already asked this question, when we were discussing here a draft law made by Center party (concerning the matter that the school can select the language of instruction by itself). You did not reply then, but I will try again. So, you, for sure, should know what is the State programme of education. Can you say, what curriculum item according to the State programme sets as a target to teach our children Estonian language?

Rummo: In other words, which other items in the curriculum besides 'Estonian language' should be used to teach Estonian language besides that it is taught at the lessons of Estonian language?

Vice-speaker - Toom: - Refine your question.

Toom: The question is the following - which curriculum item lessons, in accordance to the State programme of education, should teach children Estonian language?

Rummo: I do not understand the question in the context of the given draft law.

*****

(The answer that Mr. Rummo  for some reason cannot say out loudly is the following - 'Estonian language' is the curriculum item meant for studying and teaching Estonian language according to the State programme of education.)

Unfortunately this "dialog" (if it can be named as a dialog) reflects inability of the majority to listen and take into account the matters important to our minority.

Dear OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, we request you to help us establishing a real dialog where interests of our community will be taken into account, where hypocrisy and oppression by certain authorities in our country will get relevant evaluation and will be condemned to open a path for cooperation in our society.

Best Regards,
Andrei Lobov
Member of the Board
NGO "Russian School of Estonia"