• Political scientist Ilze Ostrovska: number of non-citizens should be reduced to a minimum 
• Aleksandrs Gaponenko wants to arrange “Russian Maidan” in Latvia
• Picket against the Ombudsman Juris Jansons held in Riga

Political scientist Ilze Ostrovska believes that it is necessary to reduce the number of non-citizens in Latvia to a minimum. According to Mrs Ostrovska, the number of non-citizens in Latvia is still very high despite the fact that already 20 years passed since Latvia became independent state. Mrs Ostrovska does not agree that all non-citizens should be granted citizenship automatically but the state should make sure that Latvian citizenship becomes more beneficial comparing to the status of non-citizen. Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize reports that one of the activists of the Congress of Non-Citizens Aleksandrs Gaponenko openly admires the events in the Eastern part of Ukraine and hopes to arrange “Russian Maidan” in Latvia. The Congress also plans to hold a concert with motto “We Want Changes” in the centre of Riga on 25 April.  The participants of the concert would also speak about non-citizens, education, Russian language in Latvia, and unity of the society.

Yesterday, the Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Language Schools and representatives of dwellers of denationalised housing held a picket for resignation of the Ombudsman Juris Jansons. The Ombudsman came to the protesters and stated that the demands for his resignation are groundless and based on false assumptions. Mr.Jansons left after the protesters shouted at him. Around 90 people took part in the protest. Latvijas Avize

 

• Forum of national minority parents held in Riga

Vesti Segodnya reports about a forum of national minority parents. According to the organizer of the forum Konstantins Cekusins, the aim of the forum is to involve parents in different initiatives concerning education process. The forum was attended by 44 parents and opened by the Minister of Education Ina Druviete. Also representatives of the Riga City Council supported activity of parents. Mr. Cekusins appreciates the fact of the Minister's participation, yet believes this participation was more symbolic than constructive, because she simply described the situation as it is seen from one side – "everything is good". While she declared her willingness to cooperate, it is unclear if in reality, once the parents express their demands, she will cooperate or these demands will be ignored. Mr. Cekusins believes the view of the parents is not sufficiently represented and it is planned to establish a legitimate body which will officially represent the parents.

 

 

• Neatkariga interviews the Minister of Education Ina Druviete
• Neatkariga reports about the idea to create a new Baltic TV channel in Russian language
• The head of the Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee Ilmars Latkovskis: respect for teachers would be more important for society integration than transition of minority schools into Latvian
• Headquarters for Protection of Russian Language Schools plans picket against the Ombudsman

 

Neatkariga interviews the Minister of Education Ina Druviete. Regarding the state language policy, the Minister said that it is important to ensure the dominance of Latvian language in entrepreneurship and to amend the State Language Law in order to eliminate unmotivated requirements for foreign language proficiency. Mrs Druviete believes that employers demanding Russian language proficiency without reason put ethnic Latvian young people in disadvantage.  The Minister asserts that the government’s plan that all school subjects except minority language, literature and culture in national minority schools are to be taught in Latvian language starting with 2018 is motivated by the need to strengthen state language positions. At the same time, the Minister denies that there will be dramatic changes saying that the main aim is to improve education quality in Latvian language. According to the Minister, the main aim is to create preconditions, motivation, to persuade teachers, parents, public opinion makers that the model of bilingual education with greater Latvian language proportion is the most appropriate. The Minister believes that education system should partly compensate lack of ethnic Latvian environment in the society. 

Neatkariga reports about the idea of representatives of the Latvian Television and their Estonian colleagues to create a new Baltic or even Europe-wide TV channel in Russian language which would be an alternative to Russia’s channels for Russian speaking residents. Russian journalists Ksenija Zagarovska believes that in order to attract wider public and be competitive with other channels in Russian language such channel needs to provide some new content. At the same time, Mrs Zagarovska is skeptical about such channel as it is naive to believe that it will make Russians to think in a “right” way. Media expert Sergejs Kruks is also skeptical about establishment of such TV channel arguing that the authors of the idea most likely know nothing about local Russians and their interests and the do not ask experts who know such things. 

Latvijas Avize interviews the head of the Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee Ilmars Latkovskis about comparison of the events in Ukraine and the situation in Latvia. Mr Latkovskis stresses that Russian residents ofLatvia are not something homogenous and believes that large number of them are pro-European. According to Mr Latkovskis, in order to promote integration in Latvia it is important to act purposefully, for instance, to draw closer attention at preparation of teachers for Russian language schools stressing the personality of a teacher – if a teacher is smart and sophisticated students will have respect not only for the teacher but also towards the subjects he/she teaches – Latvian history, language and literature. Mr Latkovskis believes that such action would be much more important than transition of education in all Russian language schools into Latvian language in 2018. 

The Headquarters for Protection of Russian Language Schools and a forum “For Progress in Latvia” will hold a picket for resignation of the Ombudsman Juris Jansons. The activists believe that the Ombudsman does not want to defend rights of all residents equally. Vesti Segodnya

• Lutheran priest Guntis Kalme likens Soviet-era migrants to the Nazis
• Minister of Education Ina Druviete praises bilingual education in a meeting with foreign colleagues

Vesti Segodnya quotes statements of the Evangelical Lutheran priest Guntis Kalme made in an interview with Latvijas Avize. G. Kalme said that Latvia is asked "to integrate into the society the occupants and their descendants. Would anyone express similar proposal to the Israeli Jews – that they should integrate the Nazis?" Mr. Kalme acts as a spiritual leader of the congregation of former Latvian Waffen-SS legionnaires and politically repressed persons.

According to Vesti Segodnya, the Minister of Education Ina Druviete met with representatives of Georgia and Ukraine stressing the importance of bilingual education and Latvia’s successful practice. The Minister said that the bilingual education deepens the level of knowledge allowing students to develop their native language, culture and traditions.

• Minister of Education again met with activists against language reform in ethnic minority schools

Latvijas Avize reports about a repeated meeting of the Minister of Education Ina Druviete with activists against language reform in ethnic minority schools Vladimirs Buzajevs, Aleksandrs Gilmans and representative of Russian parents Konstantins Cepusins. V. Buzajevs asserted that if proportion of education in Latvian language in minority schools grows it will harm quality of education. The Minister Druviete did not agree with such assertion, but both parts agreed that it is necessary to conduct researches about the impact of the language reform 2004 in ethnic minority schools and to compare results of examination between students of Latvian language and ethnic minority schools. It is also necessary to check the proportion of ethnic minority students who received scholarship in state funded higher education establishments during past several years. Yesterday, the protestors of the language reform planned for 2018 held another protest action.