The situation with teaching native language in schools surprised Chechen educators.

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Chechen educators admitted that even two hours of native language instruction in school is insufficient for mastering the subject, and the proposed reduction in hours is alarming. They also complained about the enormous bureaucratic burden on teachers.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," the Chechen Minister of Education announced at the end of August that the number of hours for Chechen language instruction in schools would be reduced by five times. The redistribution of hours, he stated, was introduced at the federal level. Starting this year, only one hour will be allocated for the study of Chechen language and literature instead of five, and this hour will be outside of school hours. However, on September 1, Chechen First Deputy Minister of Education Ilyas Taayev announced that the overall scope of Chechen language instruction in the republic's schools will not change.

Grozny resident Zargan has long been retired, but twice a week she travels to a school in the Urus-Martan district, where she teaches Chechen language and literature to fifth-grade students. "I've known the director of this school, Dagmara, for a long time. In April 1995, when the war in the mountains was still raging, we teachers were already being gathered by the newly appointed Minister of Education, Yefim Leonidovich Gelman. In Grozny, almost all the schools were damaged by bombing, and we had to prepare classrooms ourselves, with the help of older students and their parents, to hold lessons. That's when I met Dagmara. She's also a university philology graduate, but with a degree in Russian language and literature. We've been friends ever since," Zargan told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Currently, a new set of words or new meanings for existing words has appeared in the Chechen language, in colloquial vocabulary.

According to her, at the beginning of the second semester, Dagmara told her that her native language teacher had gone on maternity leave and asked Zargan to take Chechen lessons for the fifth-grade students during her maternity leave. "I agreed, not just for the money, although an extra penny in the family budget wouldn't hurt." Firstly, I loved my job, and secondly, as a teacher, I'm more concerned by the fact that less and less attention is being paid to native language lessons. Specifically, to classical Chechen, the language our ancestors spoke. Now, a whole new set of words or new meanings for existing words has appeared in the Chechen language, in the colloquial vocabulary. Listen to the conversations of not only young people but also those closer to fifty: in addition to slang, Russian and English words slip into their speech. And understanding what they're talking about is quite problematic. But the saddest thing is that young teachers, I mean in this case language teachers, occasionally incorporate slang into their vocabulary. "What kind of speech culture can we talk about among children here?" Zargan complains.

She plans to teach an elective course on the revival of the Chechen language, the language spoken by their grandparents. "We will teach those who want to speak beautifully and correctly," Zargan said. She is confident that for such an important subject as learning one's native language, the teacher was allocated a minimum amount of time: two lessons per week. And since new subjects have now been added to the curriculum, first-graders will study their native language once a week. She recalls Raisa Abdulkhalimovna Salamova, an associate professor at the Chechen-Ingush University, who taught the students the Chechen language. "Although all the students knew their native language, from the very first lectures, we students were made to understand: the main thing is not to force students to learn the language, but to help children develop a love for their native language. The teacher must remind students that language is the main wealth of the nation. Raisa Abdulkhalimovna constantly reminded us of this. During my first years working at the rural school, I remembered my teacher's advice that through the Chechen language we learn about the history and traditions of the people, about their cultural heritage, and about history. "By preparing for a lesson, a teacher involuntarily educates herself," the woman said.

According to her, interesting facts about the history of the Chechen people can be found online on the topic being studied. "There's a library at the school, or you can go to the republic library, and Director Satsita Israilova will always help you find the right book or other source of information," Zargan advised.

Some believe that learning the native language isn't all that important for our people, and so they decided to shorten Chechen lessons.

According to her, even two lessons a week is too little for literature teachers to effectively work with children. "But some people believe that learning their native language isn't that important for our people, so they decided to shorten the Chechen lessons. And that's what they did," she concluded.

You can't teach all children from the same template

Liza, a native language teacher from the village of Shali, believes that working with first-graders is not only challenging but also a creative process.

"Autumn in our area is a picture of stunning beauty. Deviating from the theme proposed by scientists from the Russian Ministry of Education, I asked the children to draw what they see out the window. And then they could sign their drawings as best they could. I said I would keep all the drawings. And in the spring, at the end of the school year, they will again draw what they see out the window and sign their drawings. "And, by comparing them, they'll understand how they've matured in a year, and how competently and beautifully they've learned to write. I violated every directive emanating from the Ministry of Education. And I don't regret it. I live and work here, in the mountain village of Shali, and I know better how and what to do to engage children who are different from their peers in the capital. You can't teach all children the same way. Every child, even if they're only seven, is an individual," she told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

A first-grader, having listened to a lesson in their native language and coming to the next lesson a week later, will have already forgotten what was discussed earlier!

"An academic hour is 45 minutes. But that's so little time for a teacher, especially if the subject being studied—the native language—is multifaceted and its study reveals new layers of the history and culture of the people." And now there's another attack on teachers: reducing the already meager number of Chechen language lessons. The directive to reduce Chechen lessons comes from Moscow. At the same time, they don't offer any guidance on where to fit the topic from the proposed curriculum, which is published online and, as a rule, serves as a guide to action," Liza reasons, adding that, apparently, instead of two Chechen lessons a week, there will be only one. "A first-grader, after listening to a lesson in their native language and coming to the next lesson a week later, will already have forgotten what was covered before! What's the point of such teaching?" the woman exclaims indignantly.

Aiza, the deputy head of a school in the Vedensky district, is pondering two directives. "The Russian Ministry of Education, concerned about the health of the younger generation, citing sanitary regulations and rules, prohibits keeping first-graders at their desks for more than 20 hours. This means that children must leave school after four lessons. An exception might be made for physical education. Since the number of subjects has increased, given the strict schedule, something had to be sacrificed. The choice fell on one Chechen language lesson in the first grade," she sadly told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to her, Chechen Minister of Education and Science Khozh-Baudi Daayev announced that staff at the ministry under his authority had reshuffled the curriculum, resulting in no reduction in Chechen language lessons. "What will this ultimately look like? Where will first-graders learn the basics of their native language: in the assembly hall, in an empty classroom, or somewhere else? The meeting participants were not informed of this. "Apparently, those involved in the reshuffling haven't yet reached a consensus," Aiza said.

"Since the issue is still being resolved, and Chechen lessons must be taught, our teaching staff decided that reversing the order of the terms doesn't change the sum. They left everything as is: from first to eighth grade, there will be two Chechen language lessons and two Chechen literature lessons per week; ninth-grade students will study their native language twice a week and Chechen literature once a week." "For the tenth and eleventh grades, Chechen language is taught once a week, and literature twice," the deputy principal concluded.

A huge amount of time is spent studying all the innovations handed down from above

Aiza's colleague Lechi from the village of Atagi once worked in the Chechen-Ingush Ministry of Education. "Mukhari Umarovich Umarov was the minister back then. We weren't bombarded with all sorts of innovations in the education system. There were promotions and competitions with neighboring republics. Most importantly, the Russian Ministry of Education helped us! They supported us, rather than hindered our work with all sorts of 'new methods with demands to implement them and report on how they were implemented.' Now, Moscow constantly sends us various innovations, new methods for studying this or that subject. "We weren't tormented by pedagogical innovators, but graduates from our schools—not just urban ones, mind you, but also rural ones—were admitted to the most prestigious universities in Moscow, Leningrad, Rostov, Riga, and Kyiv," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Teachers complain about being asked to put into practice what theorists in the offices of the Russian Ministry of Education dreamed up, but which is impossible to implement.

He said he sympathizes with officials from the Chechen Ministry of Education. "The leadership of this agency is caught between a rock and a hard place: on the one hand, the Russian Ministry of Education sends resolutions for implementation. "On the other hand, teachers complain about being asked to put into practice what theorists in the offices of the Russian Ministry of Education have dreamed up, and which is impossible to implement," Lechi believes.

Rural School Principal Musa has been running the school for 15 years. "We're located deep in the mountains, and getting to us is easy. The roads are good, but it takes a day to come and inspect our work. Our school has everything: books for all subjects, our district benefactor purchased writing materials for the school, and a former graduate sent sports equipment. Everything is fine in this regard," he shared with a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

However, at the beginning of the year, he complained about the endless stream of, in his words, completely meaningless assignments emanating from the offices of the State Budgetary Institution of Continuing Professional Education "Institute for Education Development of the Chechen Republic." The correspondent was unable to contact the institute's management, but the employee who answered the call said the institution's Moscow center sends them programs for teacher professional development. "Staff from the Institute for Education Development of the Chechen Republic supplement the programs to reflect the specifics of regional pedagogy, and then these programs are distributed to schools across the republic for implementation," she explained.

"It takes a lot of time to familiarize ourselves with and implement, and then analyze and evaluate these innovations for professional development. And I don't have enough subject teachers; the 'English teacher' is still teaching Chechen literature, and the school hasn't had a biology teacher for two years... We live in a village, everyone has their own farm, livestock! Time is running short, and they keep calling and texting! They won't let us work!" "Musa is indignant.

The most memorable quote was the one about the need to significantly reduce the bureaucratic burden on teachers—schools are required to limit themselves to only five mandatory documents for teachers.

He was present at the August meeting to consider Order No. 704 of the Russian Ministry of Education. "Minister Khozh-Baudi Daayev listed many factors that deserve attention. But for me, the most memorable quote was the one about the need to significantly reduce the bureaucratic burden on teachers—schools are required to limit themselves to only five mandatory documents for teachers. "These words are like a cleansing balm on my wounded soul, battered by the persistent struggle with the 'Institute for the Development of Education in the Chechen Republic,'" Musa laughs, adding that many others have also found this quote enduring.

He reported that at his school, classes are currently being held according to the old schedule: first-grade students—ten boys and eight girls—learn their native language twice a week. "Perhaps the schedule will be changed, as required by Order No. 704 of the Russian Ministry of Education. But why?" Musa asks.

On July 25, 2018, the State Duma adopted in its final reading amendments to the federal law "On Education," which stipulate the study of the state languages of the Russian republics "on a voluntary basis." The bill outraged residents of the North Caucasus republics, who saw it as a threat to the existence of the languages and cultures of their peoples. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov stated then that a true patriot of his people "will never renounce the language of his ancestors, and those who don't need their language cannot be forced to speak it by any laws." In his opinion, someone who comes to school with a statement refusing to study the dialect of their ancestors cannot be considered a Chechen, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Five facts about the new law on native languages".

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