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.

• Professor of the Department of Sociology of the University of Latvia Aivars Tabuns about segregation in Latvian education system
• Diena writes about reaction of the Russian-language media to declaration condemning crimes of totalitarian communism
• Rigas Balss features different opinions on ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities

Diena prints a large article by the professor of the Department of Sociology of the University of Latvia Aivars Tabuns about role of education system in the societys integration. The sociologist claims that presently Latvian education system is divided into two separate systems, Latvian and Russian schools, which promote segregation rather than integration. According to Tabuns, existing system encourages formation of ethnic stereotypes, ethnic distrust, and even hatred, instead of teaching skills of interethnic communication. Solution to this problem, says Tabuns, is in desegregation of the education system, when the state provides a possibility for all children belonging to ethnic minorities to attend Latvian kindergartens and schools. Tabuns stresses that at the same time it is necessary to provide opportunities for teachers to work individually with less successful students. When commenting on compliance of such a model to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, the sociologist asserts that the state could provide possibilities for learning minority language or getting education in minority language foreseen by the convention by means of extra-curriculum lessons or Sunday schools.

Diena analyses publications of Russian-language mass media about declaration condemning crimes of totalitarian communist regime recently adopted by the Saeima. Russian-language media, according to Diena, evaluated this declaration as a turn against Russians and even a beginning of a new cold war. Integration experts, interviewed by Diena, stress that the government should develop an active explanation campaign aimed at convincing non-Latvians that the declaration does not suggest mass deportations or any other repressions against non-ethnic Latvians. The experts also point to the fact that Russian-language information sources frequently negatively interpret events in the country, demonstrate critical and sometimes even scornful attitude towards the state and its policy, and regularly scare their audience with all kinds of possible danger to non-Latvians. According to the experts, presently information about many official documents concerning ethnic minorities (among them also the judgement of the Constitutional Court on compliance of minority education reform to the Constitution of Latvia and international standards) do not reach the Russian-speaking audience in an adequate form. Information of the Media and Advertising Research Company TNS BMS Latvia shows that 43,2% out of approximately one million non-Latvians reads a Russian-language newspapers every day.

Rigas Balss prints an opinion of the Saeima MPs Jakovs Pliners (For Human Rights in the United Latvia) and Anta Rugate (Peoples Party), and the member of national radical youth organisation ‘Klubs 415 Janis Silis about the ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. While Rugate stresses that ratification of the convention is not imposing any additional obligations to Latvia, Pliners believes that ratification without reservations could obligate Latvia to ‘democratise the State Language Law, the Citizenship Law and the Law on Education. Janis Silis claims that the best option would be not to ratify the convention at all.