A/HRC/23/34/Add.1 permitted different types of degrees and forms of minority language teaching, 18 some stressed that not all regions or schools of the Federation choose studies on the local peoples, languages and cultures as additional mandatory subjects, for instance in the Altai Republic. 50. Federal Law of 1 December 2007 amending the Federal law on Education is being progressively implemented through the various levels of the education system. One major concern was that it eliminates the national, regional and school components from State educational standards, making it difficult for regions to develop teaching programmes relating to their own languages, cultures and histories. 19 51. Reforms in 2009 removed the right to take State examinations in a minority language: students can study in another language, but must take the examination in Russian.20 In Altai Krai, however, it was decided to provide translations of test materials in local languages. 52. Concern was also expressed by interlocutors that some regions are reluctant to ensure education in congruence with the culture of the peoples, and that declarations made at the highest level of the State are not always implemented at the regional level. This was reported to be the case in the Altai Republic. The Special Rapporteur was informed, however, that a pilot project was currently being conducted in some schools of the Altai Republic to allow for the study of indigenous traditional knowledge, and that a number of textbooks on Altai culture had been published. (b) Teaching of religious and secular ethics 53. A widely discussed issue in the Russian Federation today is a pilot project introduced in 2011 in 21 regions to teach the basics of religious culture or secular ethics, in which parents select whether their children will study one of the four main religions (Russian Orthodox, Islam, Judaism or Buddhism), world religions or secular ethics. The project has been implemented for the fourth and fifth grades, in 9,980 schools. According to estimates provided by the Government, parental choices were as follows: secular ethics (42 per cent), Russian Orthodox (30 per cent), world religions (18 per cent), Islam (9 per cent), Buddhism (1 per cent) and Judaism (1 per cent). 54. The Special Rapporteur was given assurances that the intention was to teach the religious or ethical foundations of culture, not dogma or ideologies. She was also informed by the Government that the objective was to promote behaviour based on knowledge and respect of the cultural and religious traditions of the multinational peoples of the Russian Federation, as well as to promote dialogue with representatives of other cultures. 55. While the Special Rapporteur understands the desire to teach local culture and history, she also notes that these are never monolithic. Representatives of indigenous communities, for example in the Altai Republic, expressed concern that their spiritual beliefs were not an offered option and that Buddhism was being imposed on them through this educational project. In addition, the Special Rapporteur is concerned that this approach, rather than building greater cross-cultural understanding may actually divide children, as 18 19 20 See also the second opinion of the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities on the Russian Federation (ACFC/OP/II(2006)004) (available from www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,COESFCPNM,,RUS,,465d6c5c2,0.html), p. 39. See also Konstantin Zamyatin, “The education reform in Russia and its impact on teaching of the minority languages: an effect of nation-building?”, Journal on Ethnopolitics and Minority Issues in Europe, vol. 11, No. 1, 24 April 2012, in particular pp. 18 and 32-47. See also ACFC/PO/III(2011)010 (see footnote 7), para. 24. 11