"Even the children of the teachers themselves can't pass this test": A schoolgirl from Kazakhstan who moved to Russia will miss half the school year due to an exam for migrants.

12-year-old Taisa moved with her parents from Karaganda в Tobolsk back in August. However, she still can't enroll in sixth grade at a Russian school. It's all because of a test that's required for children of migrants who want to study in Russia.

"She didn't even pass the speaking section. Does that mean my child can't even speak? If there are mistakes in the written section, I can understand, but she definitely couldn't have forgotten how to speak." — Taisiya’s mother was indignant.

The family was not provided with any documentation regarding the failed test—the Department of Education stated that no one except the committee and the student should see the assignments. The next attempt to take the test is possible only in three months—during which time Taisiya will miss most of the school curriculum.

"They told us in secret at school that the exam there is so difficult that 90% of children already studying in Russian schools, and even the children of the teachers themselves, won't be able to pass it," Taisiya's dad told her.

Enrolling foreign children in Russian schools without passing a Russian language test has been prohibited since April 1, 2025. In September, NeMoskva reported that, nationwide, about 3 thousands children. In total, more than 23 thousands foreigners. Only a few of them were allowed to take the exam. 8,2 thousand (the rest did not provide the required package of documents), showed up for testing around 6 thousands schoolchildren.

Thus, up to 20 children of foreign citizens in Russia who were planning to attend school will be excluded from the educational process in 2025.

Previously, the head of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov called the mandatory Russian language test "stupid." But the State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stated that the new law leads to the “harmonization of the educational process.”