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.

• New government coalition agreement envisages transition of national minority schools to education in Latvian language only

• Rinkevics opposes opening of Russian schools abroad

 

Newspapers report that the new government coalition agreement envisages transition of national minority schools to education in Latvian language only. Vesti Segodnya reminds about the mass-scale protests against the transition to 60% of minority secondary education into Latvian language in 2003-2004. Lawyer and ex-MP Jurijs Sokolovskis believes this proposal will heighten tensions among the teachers, parents, minority civil society; he also regrets that 23 years since independence, Latvian elite is still fighting against minority schools. The leader of party "For Native Language" Vladimirs Lindermans stated that there is a need to establish organisations to defend the schools and such organisations should not just show protests, but also resist and draw attention of the world. International and European law expert, EP consultant Aleksejs Dimitrovs stated that this development reminds of the haste of the adoption of the previous reform of minority schools, which resulted in mass-scale protests and believes the current situation should be treated seriously and international attention should be drawn; he also points out that Latvia has obligations according to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities to provide education in minority languages. Education specialists interviewed by Vesti Segodnya point out that minority children are not ready to study in Latvian. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov announced that Russia will soon start opening Russian schools abroad according to Russian educational standards to serve the educational needs of the Russian minority population. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics stated opening such schools in the Baltic states is totally unacceptable. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya