55% of the Kazan schoolchildren chose Tatar language as a native language to study, while 44% of students have made their choice in favor of the Russian language. This was announced during the meeting on the results of the year of native languages and national unity, the head of the education department of the Executive Committee of Kazan Irek Rizvanov, reported TRT.
It is noted that 148 thousand children are studying in 167 Municipal Schools of Kazan, 49% of them are Tatars, 41% – Russians, another 9% are children from mixed families or representatives of other nationalities.
Riswings added that 83% of Tatar children chose Tatar language as a native language, 17% chose Russian. Among the Russian children, the picture, as follows: 66% chose Russian, 34% – Tatar.
Also, according to the head of the department of education, 46% of preschoolers are brought up in Tatar language, of which Tatar kindergartens visit Tatar kindergartens, and 15% – Tatar groups in Russian pre-school educational institutions.
In 2018, the State Duma adopted amendments to the Law “On Education”, according to which the “free choice” of the native language and regional state language should be carried out on the application of the student’s parents, and Russian can be chosen as a native language. Initially, the authorities of Tatarstan opposed the draft law, believing that he was “conflicted character” (the document confirmed that in the Republic of Tatar, the Tatar language is no longer obligatory for studying all children regardless of nationality). However, the second reading of the republican authorities claims removed. The State Duma assured that native languages will remain in the obligatory part of the school program. The amendments were supported by the State Duma deputies from Tatarstan.