Estonian, Russian Teachers Divided by More than Language

Estonian and Russian history and social studies teachers take a different approach to many issues and a common information space should be developed, says the Estonian NATO Association.

Director of the Estonian NATO Association Viktoria Punga told ERR radio news that a consistent form of dialogue should be developed. "This is the goal - to develop a common information space."

Punga said that in spite of standardized textbooks, teachers at Russian-curriculum schools rely on completely different sources of information than their Estonian counterparts. An Estonian teacher might watch the ETV news program Aktuaalne Kaamera but his Russian colleague typically gets information from Pervyi Baltiiski sponsored by Russia. Punga says it is logical that this shapes a different worldview among students.

The Estonian NATO Association, an NGO which lists cross-ethnic integration as one of its goals, has invited history and social studies teachers to Pärnu to discuss how the economic crisis poses challenges to democracy and to try to bring teachers closer together.