The Russian government supports a proposed law to ban migrant children from enrolling in Russian schools without passing a Russian language proficiency test, provided the bill is refined, Interfax reports.
The draft testimonial was approved on Monday during a meeting of the government commission on legislative activities.
The government noted that the proposed regulation, which would deny education to children failing a Russian language test necessary for mastering the school curriculum, does not fully align with Article 78, Section 2, of the Federal Law "On Education in the Russian Federation." This article grants foreign citizens and stateless persons equal rights to free and accessible education in Russia.
The changes must also comply with Russia's international agreements. Specifically, the agreement on education cooperation among CIS countries guarantees that residents of member states are entitled to the same education conditions as Russian citizens.
The draft law also requires adjustments regarding the legal status of foreign minors unable to attend educational institutions due to insufficient Russian language skills identified through testing.
The government highlighted the lack of provisions in the bill for funding the additional budgetary expenses the measures would incur.
The cabinet also called for further development of mechanisms to verify the Russian language proficiency of foreign minors.
If adopted, the law will come into force on April 1, 2025, the draft testimonial says.
