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.

• Russian radicals will collect signatures in support of granting official status to Russian language in Latvia
• Ex-Minister of Education Karlis Sadurskis does not support full transition of all state funded schools only to Latvian language
• Minister of Education Rolands Broks: there is no sufficient funding to translate the students competitions in minority languages

Russian radicals established an organisation “Native Language” with an aim to collect signatures in support of granting official status to Russian language in Latvia. Such action is a response to collection of signatures by ethnic Latvian nationalists in support of transition of all state funded schools to instruction only in Latvian.

Russian radicals established an organisation Native Language with an aim to collect signatures in support of granting official status to Russian language in Latvia. Such action is a response to collection of signatures by ethnic Latvian nationalists in support of transition of all state funded schools to instruction only in Latvian. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Ex-Minister of Education Karlis Sadurskis (who headed the Ministry during the implementation of minorities’ school reform in 2004) does not support full transition of all state funded schools to instruction only in Latvian language. Mr. Sadurskis believes that Latvian language proficiency of graduates of Russian language schools sufficiently improved after transition to bilingual education.

Ex-Minister of Education Karlis Sadurskis (who headed the Ministry during the implementation of minorities school reform in 2004) does not support full transition of all state funded schools to instruction only in Latvian language. Mr. Sadurskis believes that Latvian language proficiency of graduates of Russian language schools sufficiently improved after transition to bilingual education. Vesti Segodnya

The Minister of Education Rolands Broks replied to a request of the Concord Centre explaining why the students’ competitions on schools subjects will be conducted only in Latvian language for students of all schools. According to the Minister, Latvian students study in eight minority languages – Hebrew, Polish, Estonian, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Roma and Russian – and there is no sufficient funding to translate the competitions in all these languages. The Minister notes that participation in the competitions is voluntary and, besides that, students has right to reply the questions in Russian or Latvian or municipalities can provide partial translation of tasks. Thus, the Minister believes that principles of bilingual education are not violated. Newspaper

The Minister of Education Rolands Broks replied to a request of the Concord Centre explaining why the students competitions on schools subjects will be conducted only in Latvian language for students of all schools. According to the Minister, Latvian students study in eight minority languages – Hebrew, Polish, Estonian, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Roma and Russian – and there is no sufficient funding to translate the competitions in all these languages. The Minister notes that participation in the competitions is voluntary and, besides that, students has right to reply the questions in Russian or Latvian or municipalities can provide partial translation of tasks. Thus, the Minister believes that principles of bilingual education are not violated. Newspaper Vesti Segodnya notes that 73% of students study in Latvian, 26% in Russian and only 1% in other languages.