LEGISLATIVE BARRIERS AND REGULATORY CHALLENGES IN ORGANIZING CHINESE LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION IN RUSSIAN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

The article presents a comprehensive analysis of legislative barriers and regulatory complexities faced by Russian educational institutions in organizing Chinese language instruction at all levels—from preschool through higher education. The main focus is on identifying and systematizing the key problematic areas. These include difficulties in licensing and program accreditation, a shortage of qualified teaching personnel, the absence of Federal State Educational Standards (FSES) adapted to the specifics of the Chinese language (tonality, characters), challenges in coordinating curricula and allocating instructional hours within existing workload regulations, shortcomings in methodological support and textbooks that meet Russian requirements, and the exclusion of Chinese from the Unified State Exam (USE) list. The study examines these barriers in detail at each stage of education (preschool, primary, basic and general secondary, vocational secondary, higher education), highlighting regional differences in the availability of resources and support. Special attention is given to issues of teacher certification, the organization of language internships, recognition of international certificates (HSK), the cultural component in programs, and difficulties related to online learning and digitalization. In conclusion, the article argues for the development of specialized regulatory acts for Eastern languages, the modernization of FSES, the strengthening of the expert community’s role, and the establishment of a sustainable financing and staffing system to overcome the identified barriers and effectively integrate Chinese into the Russian educational system within the framework of strategic partnership with China.