Complex sentence: In the 1980s, the study and teaching of Tatar in the public education system was limited to rural schools, however Tatar-speaking pupils had little chance of entering university because all higher education was available in Russian almost exclusively.
Split into simpler sentences: In the 1980s, the study and teaching of Tatar in the public education system was limited to rural schools. However, Tatar-speaking pupils had little chance of entering university because higher education was available in Russian almost exclusively.