20:21, 31 August 2004

Teachers of Russian indignant at instructions of Education Ministry

Teachers of Russian in Azerbaijan local schools demand that the Ministry of Education should reinstate this subject in the basic school curriculum. Otherwise, they insist that the ministry should officially admit its discrimination policy towards the Russian-speaking population of the country, the Association of Teachers of Russian in Azerbaijan Schools has announced.

The teaching of Russian in Azerbaijan schools has been removed from the basic curriculum to optional study since 2003 by instructions of Minister of Education Misir Mardanov. Association members believe the government policy towards the study of the Russian language as a foreign language is discriminating by nature not only with respect to teachers of Russian. They think it infringes upon the rights of students who want to become proficient in it.

"The next year is declared the year of Russian in the republic, but Azerbaijan is carrying out a discrimination reform of the education system," members of the Association said.

Author: Zaur Rasulzade, CK correspondent

Source: Caucasian Knot