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.

• State Education inspection: only one minority school out of 1016 is not ready for the education reform
• Conference on the past and future of society integration in Latvia
• Peoples Harmony Party is planning to decide about the future support to the government
• About the draft law on elimination of racial discrimination
• Approximately 20 persons participate in the unapproved protest meeting in Riga
• Planned protest actions against the education reform
• Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language Schools register 22000 persons ready to defend interests of the Russian community in Latvia
• Police and Riga City Councils Security and Order Committees meet to discuss possibility of ethnic conflicts between young people
• Saeima rejects PHP demand for resignation of the chairman of the National Broadcasting Council of Latvia Imants Rakins

According to the State Education inspection, only one minority school out of 1016 is not ready for the education reform, and only 11 teachers are not prepared to teach their subjects in Latvian. 10% of minority schools’ teachers will be ready to teach in Latvian, while continuing to improve their skills.

According to the State Education inspection, only one minority school out of 1016 is not ready for the education reform, and only 11 teachers are not prepared to teach their subjects in Latvian. 10% of minority schools teachers will be ready to teach in Latvian, while continuing to improve their skills. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Newspapers write about the conference organized by the Special Tasks Minister’s for Society Integration Secretariat and dedicated to the analysis of the society integration policy of the past years, as well as to setting priorities for the future. According to the Special Task Minister for Society Integration Nils Muiznieks, special attention may be paid in the future to the integration of children and young people, promoting their civic participation and knowledge of the state language; as well as to the integration of the new immigrants. Some of the conference participants expressed an opinion that Latvia needs a Law on Society Integration.

Newspapers write about the conference organized by the Special Tasks Ministers for Society Integration Secretariat and dedicated to the analysis of the society integration policy of the past years, as well as to setting priorities for the future. According to the Special Task Minister for Society Integration Nils Muiznieks, special attention may be paid in the future to the integration of children and young people, promoting their civic participation and knowledge of the state language; as well as to the integration of the new immigrants. Some of the conference participants expressed an opinion that Latvia needs a Law on Society Integration. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Telegraf

People’s Harmony Party (PHP), informing about its plans to decide on the future support to the government next Monday, has indicated that the government will loose the PHP support if tension in the area of education reform is not diminished. Head of the Saeima PHP parliamentary group Janis Urbanovics denies rumors about demanded moratorium on the education reform, stressing that PHP is willing to find a compromise solution which would be acceptable also to the government.

Peoples Harmony Party (PHP), informing about its plans to decide on the future support to the government next Monday, has indicated that the government will loose the PHP support if tension in the area of education reform is not diminished. Head of the Saeima PHP parliamentary group Janis Urbanovics denies rumors about demanded moratorium on the education reform, stressing that PHP is willing to find a compromise solution which would be acceptable also to the government. Diena

Following the proposal of the head of Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee Ina Druviete, Saeima yesterday has withdrawn review of the draft law on elimination of racial discrimination from the agenda. According to

Following the proposal of the head of Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee Ina Druviete, Saeima yesterday has withdrawn review of the draft law on elimination of racial discrimination from the agenda. According to Latvijas Vestnesis, MPs have decided that as the 1 May deadline was already missed, the stamp ‘urgent could be removed from the draft law with the view to thoroughly discussing it before adoption. Vesty Segodnya writes that the draft law was removed from the agenda because too many harsh sanctions against human rights violators were foreseen by it. Discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation will not be included in the draft law, states Ina Druviete, as Saeima has voted out this criteria as inapplicable to Latvia. The draft law could be adopted until the end of the spring session of Saeima. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Vetnesis

Yesterday approximately 20 persons participated in the unapproved protest meeting against the education reform near the Riga City Hall.

Yesterday approximately 20 persons participated in the unapproved protest meeting against the education reform near the Riga City Hall. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Contrary to the statement of the leader of Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language Schools Jurijs Petropavlovskis, there are no protest actions against the education reform planned in Ventspils on 15 and 18 May. According to the representative of the city’s Russian-speaking students parents’ committee Marina Djakova, on 18 May a conference devoted to the issues of the education reform is planned. Marina Djakova says that parents are inclined towards the dialogue with government and municipality representatives before expressing their attitude towards the reform.

Contrary to the statement of the leader of Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language Schools Jurijs Petropavlovskis, there are no protest actions against the education reform planned in Ventspils on 15 and 18 May. According to the representative of the citys Russian-speaking students parents committee Marina Djakova, on 18 May a conference devoted to the issues of the education reform is planned. Marina Djakova says that parents are inclined towards the dialogue with government and municipality representatives before expressing their attitude towards the reform. Latvijas Avize writes about the planned protest action against the education reform in Liepaja on 15 May. Diena, Latvijas Avize

Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language Schools have registered 22 000 persons, who are ready to actively defend interests of the Russian community, and to participate in preparations to the United Congress of the Russian community in Latvia.

Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language Schools have registered 22000 persons, who are ready to actively defend interests of the Russian community, and to participate in preparations to the United Congress of the Russian community in Latvia. Vesti Segodnya

During the meeting of the Riga City Council’s Security and Order Committee police representatives have stated that they have no information about ethnic conflicts among young people. At the same time, according to the head of the Committee Andrejs Vilks, committee has received an application about a conflict based on ethnic grounds near Ziepniekkalns primary school in Riga.

During the meeting of the Riga City Councils Security and Order Committee police representatives have stated that they have no information about ethnic conflicts among young people. At the same time, according to the head of the Committee Andrejs Vilks, committee has received an application about a conflict based on ethnic grounds near Ziepniekkalns primary school in Riga. Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize

Saeima has rejected demand of People’s Harmony Party for resignation of the chairman of the National Broadcasting Council of Latvia Imants Rakins due to his statement to the national extremist newspaper DDD that Latvia’s decolonization is a “just thing”. Saeima MPs allegedly believe that there is nothing condemnable in the statement of Imants Rakins.

Saeima has rejected demand of Peoples Harmony Party for resignation of the chairman of the National Broadcasting Council of Latvia Imants Rakins due to his statement to the national extremist newspaper DDD that Latvias decolonization is a just thing. Saeima MPs allegedly believe that there is nothing condemnable in the statement of Imants Rakins. Chas