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.

• Complaints about language discrimination in school Olympiads
• Andrejs Berdnikovs: Sarmite Elerte is seeking revenge and the “Unity” will play tough on ethnic issues

 

The regulations issued by the Cabinet of Ministers envisages that starting from 2013, all school Olympiads will be conducted only in the state language, thus excluding Russian language from the possibility to receive information about the tasks and provide answers. The newspaper reminds that during the recent years, several attempts were made to exclude Russian from communication. A teacher and former MP Jakovs Pliners believes the new regulations are unfair and calls the Prime Minister to restore equal opportunities of Latvian and Russian pupils. The Head of the Consultative Council on the Education of Ethnic Minorities of the Ministry of Education Romans Alievs also believes that languages should not be restricted, because the pupil might misunderstand the task and fail; besides, testing the knowledge of the state language is not the goal of the school Olympiads. The head of the Latvian Association in Support of Schools with Russian Language of Instruction (LAShOR) and an MP Igors Pimenovs together with four other MPs (Concord Centre) sent a letter to the Prime Minister, pointing out that the new regulations put the pupils of minority schools into unequal situation: the pupils might misunderstand the tasks given in the state language therefore make errors. Vesti Segodnya

 

A political scientist, ex-advisor of the Minister of Culture on integration issues Andrejs Berdnikovs believes that the decision of the political party “Unity” to nominate the former Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte as a candidate to the post of the Mayor of Riga is a “spit in the face of the Russian voters” and a sign that the “Unity” will play tough on ethnic issues and is unwilling to make any compromises. According to Berdnikovs, Sarmite Elerte as a person is uncompromising and currently seeking revenge. Mr.Berdnikovs believes that if the “Unity” wins the elections, Mrs.Elerte would try to ban the annual celebration of the Victory over Nazism on 9 May. Chas