Russian language abroad: Pupils in the east of Finland may substitute mandatory Swedish with Russian

Pilot projects aimed at substitution of mandatory Swedish language with Russian are expected to be launched in the near future in the east of Finland. The initiative was supported by the Prime Minister of Finland Mari Kiviniemi.

She stressed that "many schools from the North Karelia asked for such an opportunity". Mari Kiviniemi highlighted that "the reform may be based on projects being currently implemented at schools". "We need to try and summarize this experience", - the Prime Minister reckons.

Decision concerning the reform will be taken in autumn. Recently there is a growing demand for specialists with the knowledge of Russian language in the business sector of Finland. Russian language has entered the list of three languages crucial for business and is ahead of other European languages like German.

According to the polls conducted by the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), not less than one third of employers consider the knowledge of the Russian language important. In the east of Finland in summer 2010 during the school intake the number of applications for the Russian language learning was above all expectations.

In this region of Finland, which is the nearest to Russia, Russian language displaces even English. Teachers believe that among the reasons are the inclination towards Russian culture, and besides economic opportunities available in Russia attract many people, while the knowledge of Russian language gives the youth good chances to find a good job.