The long-running and politically sensitive transition of Russian-language schools in Estonia to Estonian as the main language of instruction has claimed one of its most prominent figures. Sergei Teplov, principal of Tallinn Central Russian Gymnasium since 2009 and a long-standing member of the Centre Party, has been dismissed over what city authorities describe as systematic violations and obstruction of the language reform.
According to Kaarel Rundu, head of the Tallinn Education Department, Teplov’s employment will formally end on 4 December. The department cites a loss of trust as the key reason, arguing that the principal failed to guarantee the lawful provision of education and actively hindered the shift to Estonian-language teaching mandated by national legislation. Until a new principal is chosen through a public competition, the school will be led on an interim basis by Natalja Vergun, principal of Tallinn Mustamäe Reaalgümnaasium.
At the heart of the dispute is the way Tallinn Central Russian Gymnasium managed its staff during the transition. Inspections by the Ministry of Education and Science and the Tallinn Education Department found that lessons which should already have been taught in Estonian were in practice being conducted by teachers who did not meet the required level of Estonian proficiency. Some teachers with insufficient language skills were formally hired as laboratory assistants or support staff, which is not illegal in itself, but inspectors concluded that these individuals were in fact teaching classes that were supposed to be delivered in Estonian by other, qualified teachers. Lessons were therefore being conducted inappropriately, undermining both the letter and the spirit of the reform.
Deputy mayor for education Aleksei Jašin, who is leaving office in early December, explained that similar arrangements exist in other schools, where non-Estonian-speaking staff are employed in assistant roles but are not responsible for teaching Estonian-language classes. In the case of Tallinn Central Russian Gymnasium, however, national and municipal inspections uncovered numerous instances where such staff de facto took over teaching duties without having the required language competence. City officials argue that this was not an isolated mistake or a misunderstanding but the result of deliberate decisions by the school leadership.
What makes the situation particularly sensitive is that Tallinn Central Russian Gymnasium is widely regarded as a high-performing school. Its students have traditionally achieved strong results, and even the officials responsible for recommending Teplov’s dismissal acknowledge that the staff and leadership have contributed significantly to its academic reputation. Jašin stressed that this makes the decision painful, but he insisted that the scale and persistence of the violations during the language transition set the school apart from others and left the city with no alternative.
The Education Department maintains that the move is not politically motivated, despite Teplov’s long-running affiliation with the Centre Party, which has historically drawn much of its support from Estonia’s Russian-speaking population and has often been cautious or critical regarding rapid language reforms. Officials insist that the dismissal follows directly from inspection findings and legal requirements and that it would be impossible to continue working with a principal under whom so many deficiencies had been documented.
No successor has yet been identified. The usual procedure involves announcing a public competition, vetting candidates at the Education Department and then submitting a proposed name to the city government for approval. In the meantime, the school’s existing teaching and administrative teams are expected to keep classes running and implement the required changes to ensure compliance with language legislation. City leaders say they are confident that there are enough capable staff within the school to stabilise the situation and carry the transition forward.
The case touches on broader tensions surrounding Estonia’s education reform, which requires Russian-language schools to move step by step toward Estonian as the language of instruction in most subjects. Supporters of the reform argue that it is essential for integration, equal opportunities and national cohesion, ensuring that graduates from all backgrounds have strong Estonian language skills and can fully participate in higher education and the labour market. Critics, particularly within the Russian-speaking community, fear the erosion of minority language rights, the potential loss of experienced teachers who cannot meet language requirements in time, and the risk of disruption to children’s learning.
Teplov’s dismissal may therefore resonate well beyond the walls of one Tallinn gymnasium. For reform advocates, it signals that authorities are prepared to act decisively when school leaders circumvent the rules. For sceptics, it may reinforce concerns that the transition is being enforced in a top-down manner, with insufficient flexibility for schools operating in complex linguistic environments.
So far, Teplov himself has not commented publicly on the decision and has not responded to questions from journalists. Having led Tallinn Central Russian Gymnasium for more than fifteen years, he played a prominent role in shaping the school’s identity and its position within the city’s Russian-speaking community. His removal marks a clear turning point: both the school and Tallinn’s education authorities now have to demonstrate that they can complete the transition to Estonian-language instruction in a way that is legally sound, educationally effective and socially sustainable.
