## Controversy Erupts Over Baltic States’ Shift to State-Language Education, Sparking “Language Genocide” Accusations
Recent legislative changes in Latvia and Estonia are forcing a rapid transition to state-language education, igniting controversy and accusations of “language genocide” from some Russian-speaking communities. The moves, accelerated by the war in Ukraine, are aimed at integrating minority populations and ensuring access to broader societal participation, but are viewed by others as a threat to cultural identity.
In Latvia, where approximately one-third of the population is ethnically Russian, education in Latvian has been fully implemented for grades 1-9 as of September 2023, following a law passed by the Saeima in September 2022. This marks a meaningful shift, as language laws were previously lacking, according to teacher and Latvian language and literature blogger, Berkans. He points out the change only gained momentum following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, suggesting a newfound courage to address the issue.
Berkans highlighted concerning conditions observed during his teaching practice, citing an example from a school in the riž region. He reported seeing Russian and Belarusian flags displayed in school corridors, including one bearing the slogan “Russian Riga,” despite the school management’s limited Latvian language proficiency and the use of Russian in official school communications. “It is indeed still necessary to do a lot of work to actually achieve a complete transition to Latin teaching in practice,” stated Kantor, emphasizing the crucial role of school leadership in implementing the change.
The challenges begin even earlier,Berkans explains,with insufficient organization of Latvian language instruction in pre-school facilities,leading to classrooms with students possessing vastly different levels of language comprehension.
The Latvian Ministry of Education acknowledges the transition, stating that minority groups can continue to study their native language and cultural history alongside Latvian, but emphasizes the importance of state language acquisition for full participation in Latvian society, continued education, and the preservation of cultural heritage, “in accordance with the Latvian Republic and International Right,” according to Edijs Šauers from the Ministry’s press department.
However, the new rules have sparked protests. The Latvian Association for the Support of Russian-Speaking Schools has voiced strong opposition, staging demonstrations as early as 2022, displaying banners with slogans like “Stop language genocide.” Igor Pimenova, chairman of the association, argues that the Russian-speaking population of Latvia is uniquely denied the right to general education in their native language, characterizing the state-language-only education as “targeted assimilation.”
Estonia has followed a similar path.In 2022, the Riigikogu passed legislation mandating a gradual transition to Estonian-language instruction. Education in Estonian began in kindergartens in 2024, with a complete shift planned by 2030. Ethnic Russians comprise roughly a quarter of Estonia’s population.
