Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

• Teachers conference about the implementation of the minority education reform takes place in Riga
• Head of Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksandrs Kirsteins resigns from the post

Russian-language newspapers report on the Riga teachers’ conference ‘Learning Process in Minority Schools’ 10th grades – Creative Experience and Problems’, which discussed the implementation of minority education reform. While the representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, referring to opinion surveys conducted by the Ministry’s Education Inspection Board of minority schools directors, teachers, students and their parents evaluated the implementation of the minority education reform as successful, another study, conducted by the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the University of Latvia highlighted several problems in this realm. The results of the opinion survey of minority teachers of mathematics and history, teaching their subjects in Latvian at 10th grades, showed that teachers are short of time when teaching subjects in Latvian. At the same time, teachers have also drawn attention to the fact that as students have varying Latvian language proficiency levels, part of them are excluded from discussions due to inadequate knowledge of Latvian. This has lead to an increasing loss of interest by minority students in the subjects.

Russian-language newspapers report on the Riga teachers conference ‘Learning Process in Minority Schools 10th grades – Creative Experience and Problems, which discussed the implementation of minority education reform. While the representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science, referring to opinion surveys conducted by the Ministrys Education Inspection Board of minority schools directors, teachers, students and their parents evaluated the implementation of the minority education reform as successful, another study, conducted by the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the University of Latvia highlighted several problems in this realm. The results of the opinion survey of minority teachers of mathematics and history, teaching their subjects in Latvian at 10th grades, showed that teachers are short of time when teaching subjects in Latvian. At the same time, teachers have also drawn attention to the fact that as students have varying Latvian language proficiency levels, part of them are excluded from discussions due to inadequate knowledge of Latvian. This has lead to an increasing loss of interest by minority students in the subjects. Chas, Telegraf

Yesterday the Head of the Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksandrs Kirsteins announced his resignation from the post. The representative of the People’s Party Vaira Paegle was elected the new head of the committee. As reported previously, the People’s Party expelled Kirsteins from the party when a number of human rights experts evaluated his statements as bordering on anti-Semitism and incitement to national hatred.

Yesterday the Head of the Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksandrs Kirsteins announced his resignation from the post. The representative of the Peoples Party Vaira Paegle was elected the new head of the committee. As reported previously, the Peoples Party expelled Kirsteins from the party when a number of human rights experts evaluated his statements as bordering on anti-Semitism and incitement to national hatred. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Chas, Telegraf