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.

• Vladimirs Buzajevs: scrapping of Latvian language exam designed for non-native speakers discriminates against national minorities in education

 

Before 2011, the students of national minority schools had to pass Latvian language exam designed for non-native speakers. According to Vladimirs Buzajevs, co-chairman of the Latvian Human Rights Committee, once the uniform Latvian language exam (the same as for mainstream Latvian schools) was introduced in 2012 to national minority schools, the results of Latvian exams have fallen dramatically in national minority schools: the share of highest grades (A) was seven times smaller in 2012 than in 2011, while the share of the lowest grades was twice greater in 2012 than in 2011. In 2013, the "A-F" grades system was substituted with percentages; nearly two-thirds of students of Russian minority schools received less then 50% of the total possible score in Latvian language exam, while two-thirds of students in mainstream Latvian schools received more than 50%. The share of minority students with the lowest percentages (equivalent to "F") in 2013 increased thee-fold comparing to 2012 results. On the contrary, the share of minority students with high percentages (equivalent to "B" and "C") in 2013 is much lower. Mr.Buzajevs emphasises that the lower Latvian language grades of national minority graduates are the reason why many of them are not able to get the state-funded university education. Vesti-Segodnya