Russia: North Ossetia defends mandatory Ossetian classes in schools
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 27 December 2017 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russia: North Ossetia defends mandatory Ossetian classes in schools, 27 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a9fc6e7a.html [accessed 24 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
December 27, 2017 12:33 GMT
RFE/RL
A group of teachers and linguists is mounting a petition drive to urge President Vladimir Putin to preserve the mandatory status of Ossetian-language classes in the North Ossetia region.
The North Ossetian leader's adviser on cultural issues, Tamerlan Kambolov, announced on Facebook that the Association of Teachers and Researchers of the Ossetian Language were starting to collect signatures on December 27.
The petition, which Kambolov posted, says that Ossetian classes must remain mandatory in the region's schools because it has the status of a state language in North Ossetia, along with Russian.
The language issue has triggered tension in Russia's "ethnic republics" – regions where non-Russian ethic groups are heavily represented – after Putin said in July that ethnic Russians must not be forced to learn the languages of indigenous groups.
Putin also ordered federal prosecutors to check whether students were being forced to study minority languages across Russia.
Classes in indigenous languages have lost their mandatory status in several regions since then.
The move sparked protests in Russia's republics of Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Mari El, and Chuvashia.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
