Marat Akhmetov: "The experience of the Nurlatsky district in preserving native languages is important for other municipalities to study."

      Today, the Acting Chairman of the State Council of Tatarstan, Chairman of the Commission under the President of the Republic of Tatarstan on the preservation and development of the Tatar language and the native languages of the peoples living in the Republic of Tatarstan, Marat Akhmetov, visited the Nurlat district on a working trip. Marat Akhmetov got acquainted with the work of educational institutions in the municipality, where education is conducted in the native languages of the peoples of the republic. The first site visited by Marat Akhmetov was a secondary school in the village of Yegorkino – one of the oldest in the district, which is 145 years old. The school has Russian as the language of instruction with the study of the native (Chuvash) language. Currently, 55 children are studying at the school under the guidance of 16 teachers. As Marat Akhmetov was told, one of the largest populations of Chuvash in the republic lives in the Nurlat district – it is a quarter of the population, about 13 thousand people. "All 55 children study the Chuvash language," said the school director, Ekaterina Kirgizova. "The children really enjoy learning the language and traditions. They learn from textbooks, from the stories of their grandmothers and grandfathers about what their ancestors did and what traditions they had. In recent years, our school has received a lot of fiction in the Chuvash language. The books are bright and attract students. All publications are in two languages - Russian and Chuvash." Also, according to the director, children learn their native language and culture not only through textbooks. "The school has electronic interactive equipment, in particular, an interactive whiteboard, which has many games for children loaded onto it," noted Ekaterina Kirgizova. "Children find it easy to learn the Chuvash language. Russian-speaking children also study it because in many families children do not speak Chuvash. This is possibly the main problem. But the children are interested in learning their native language, the language of their people." Marat Akhmetov was shown a performance by the school theater in the Chuvash language, and the Acting Chairman of the State Council also inspected the school museum and library. Marat Akhmetov inquired whether there was enough literature for studying the Chuvash language. "The library's book fund is 8 thousand copies. 10% of the literature is in the Chuvash language. Last year, we received another 400 books," said the school director. "An incredibly dedicated team, the children enthusiastically study their native language, striving to preserve the traditions of their ancestors," emphasized Marat Akhmetov and proposed to create a district center for the study of the Chuvash language at the school. "Here, within a radius of 100 kilometers, including neighboring districts, more than 50 thousand Chuvash live in the Zakam region. It is necessary to create an innovative methodological center for the study of the Chuvash language and culture at the Yegorkino school. The institution needs to be equipped with new methodological materials so that neighbors can come and learn from the experience," emphasized Marat Akhmetov. The next stop on Marat Akhmetov's visit was the Nurlat Gymnasium named after the Hero of the Soviet Union M.E. Sergeyev. The educational institution was opened in August 2006, and in 2015 it was named after a native of the district, Hero of the Soviet Union Mikhail Sergeyevich Sergeyev. Today, about 700 students study here. The students receive education in Russian and Tatar languages. Marat Akhmetov attended a theatrical performance and also got acquainted with the work of clubs and sections. Today, the Acting Chairman of the State Council visited the Nurlat kindergarten No. 15 "Alsou," where education is conducted in the Tatar language. This year, the institution became the winner of the competition for the grant "Best Bilingual Kindergarten," presenting and defending a project aimed at improving bilingual education. The effectiveness of their work was evaluated by an expert commission. Since 2013, 258 preschool educational institutions in the republic have received such grants. The grant amount is 500 thousand rubles, directed towards further development of bilingual education, equipping playgrounds, and creating comfortable conditions for studying the Tatar and Russian languages. The results of the work of Nurlat's educational institutions in preserving and developing native languages, folk traditions, and national cultures were discussed at a meeting with the leadership and active members of the district. "The city is a city, and in Nurlat, the environment is predominantly Russian-speaking, but at the same time, both teachers and students communicate freely in pure Tatar, study, and engage in clubs," emphasized Marat Akhmetov while speaking with journalists. "I was surprised that children can communicate so freely in their native language. Undoubtedly, a good assessment. In the kindergarten, many methodological recommendations have been developed through their own efforts. The experience of both the kindergarten and the gymnasium in preserving the native language can be proposed for dissemination to neighboring districts. I am satisfied with the state of affairs regarding the preservation of native languages and traditions, the unity of the peoples living in this territory. These issues are under the constant attention of the municipal authorities, and educational institutions are responsibly and effectively engaged in this."