Just as the school situation gradually improved, another major problem faced the colonists. It became more and more difficult to teach German. The sources are scarce about the school standards, but the language dispute is well documented. Externally the reform of 1871 (See also 2.3, The Changes from the second Half of the 19th Century, ca. 1860-1918) had no major consequences, aside from being offiically under the auspices of the Russian state. The demand to teach Russian had been in existence, but the when and how it was taught were largely left to the schools. Students continued to be educated in German and German text books remained in use. ¹⁾
Up to then, the pastors had supervised the schools and this did not change drastically in 1881, when the schools were placed under the Ministry of Peoples’ Enlightenment, formerly the Ministry of Domains of the State. The state school inspectors took over the supervision of the German schools, which was a formal matter, only. Schools still were administered by the community, which gave the communities a certain influence. Schools were the possession of the German community and were still operating at community expense without support from the Semstwo and the government.

In 1881, the battle bewtween German and Russian as official language was joined. All education was supposed to be in Russian as of 1887 and many teachers ignored this demand until the 1890's.

After 1890 the state control of colonist schools intensified. Difficulties began when Russian became the official language and had to be started from the first year of school on. (1892) No teachers were to be hired who had not passed the Russian teachers’ exam, not even to teach German. In reality, this rule was not fully effective.

The former school administration of the pastor was reduced to the subjects of Religion and German, subjects in which the school inspectors were not interested. The changes to the German schools and the German language could be left to a minimum. At this time the German education improved, since teaching methods were improved and excellent text books became available. Until the end of the Russian era, school attendance remained a weak point. Even at the beginning of the 20th century irregular school attendance was a concern. The Odessa newspaper number 30 of 1906 notes: The Mennonites take it for granted that children attend school on a regular basis, which is a big contrast to the situation in Bessarabia and the Cherson district.

In the course of liberalization under minister president Stolypin, a certain relaxation can be noted. The schools of the Germans were given permission to use German as the language of instruction in the first two years of schooling and use Russian in the following grades.
School administrators were mostly Germans and inspectors rarely came to the distant villages. Schools maintained their German influence until the First World War, since German was kept as a subject in tandem with Russian.

In the years preceding World War One, the state made the suggestion to convert the elementary schools into district or Semstwo schools. In return, the communities were promised funds for school construction and higher salaries for teachers. Krasna made use of this offer. The boys’ school, completed in 1914, was built by the district office (Semstwo) and cost a total of 20,000 rubles, of which Krasna paid 8,000 rubles and supplied also the necessary hauling and transports.
See also 3.1,The Village of Krasna, its Location and Appearance

World War I dealt a horrible blow. Based on the decree of June 14, 1915, the Krasna schools were closed as drastic measures began to limit the German settlers.
See also 2.3, The Changes from the Second Half of the 19th Century (ca 1860-1918)
After the fall of the tsar in 1917, they were reopened at the beginning of the school year in September of 1917, just as all other German schools. This was only possible after the Semstwo took over paying a third of the teachers’ salaries.

The German grade schools were de facto church schools in 1917, even if the state had jurisdiction (de jure) and provided a large portion of the teachers’ salaries.