Russia to introduce language tests for children of migrants

The new rules will take effect in April 2025, according to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko

Russia will start checking the children of foreign nationals who enroll in Russian schools for their basic knowledge of the national language starting next spring, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko revealed on Tuesday. Under a new law passed by the State Duma, those who fail the tests will be barred from attending regular schools.

The new rules requiring the children of migrants to undergo mandatory Russian language tests were unveiled earlier this month. According to Chernyshenko, the tests will be introduced in all educational institutions nationwide starting April 1, which is when most Russian schools start accepting admission applications.

“Rosobrnadzor [the federal education supervising body] is currently completing the preparation of methodological materials and testing systems, as well as the assessment criteria, since we understand that different age groups will require different levels of testing,” the official told RIA Novosti. He noted that Russian schools accept approximately 155,000 children of migrants every year.

The Russian Education Ministry earlier announced that the language tests will be free of charge.

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Chernyshenko separately stated that foreign students who apply to universities in Russia will also have to undergo Russian language exams as part of their admission procedures. This rule will also enter force in April 2025. According to the latest data from the ministry, some 380,000 foreign students currently attend Russian universities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier supported the idea of introducing language tests for the children of migrants. During his traditional end-of-year press conference last week, he said the legislation was “understandable,” asking “how can a child be taught at school if he does not speak the language?” Putin stated that the migration issue in Russia was “acute” and urged the authorities to work on laws that will ensure that illegal immigration is curbed while skilled foreign workers are welcomed to the country.