Reports have emerged about the possible closure of Russian-language schools in Azerbaijan. According to Azerbaijan's Oxu publication, the country's government has decided to close Russian-language schools following the deterioration of relations with Russia. Journalists are relying on notifications spread in schools' WhatsApp chats.
It is noted that teaching in Russian in Azerbaijani schools will be phased out over three years. "This decision is aimed at strengthening the position of the Azerbaijani language as the primary language of instruction and integrating all citizens into a unified educational environment," the publication reports.
A similar decision has been made regarding the cessation of education in Russian at higher educational institutions, Oxu wrote. Starting from the new academic year, teaching will only be conducted in Azerbaijani and English languages, therefore all Russian-speaking students must pass an Azerbaijani language exam by August 20.
According to Meduza publication, information about the closure of Russian schools in Azerbaijan was spread by the satirical Telegram channel "The Empire is very angry" known for publishing fake news. A relevant notice appeared on the channel on June 30th. "Be aware, it may contain fake and coarse satire. The writings are fantastical, everything is coincidental," the channel description states.
Nevertheless, Russia's RBC agency confirmed information about the closure of Russian schools in Azerbaijan from a source in one of the country's educational institutions.
In response to the media's inquiry, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Science and Education did not answer the question about the cessation of education in Russian at schools and universities and reminded that updates about the state education policy should only be searched for from official sources.
It is noted that currently, there are 340 Russian-language schools in Azerbaijan (of which 16 provide education exclusively in Russian). A total of 150-160 thousand students receive education in these schools.
