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.

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• Rapporteurs of the CEPA Monitoring Committee visit Latvia
• About necessity to involve teachers and specialists in discussion about the education reform
• Latvijas Avize writes about similarities between positions of the Latvias First Party and Peoples Harmony Party on society integration issues
• Arabian TV channel Al-Dzazira plans to prepare a broadcast about the implementation of the education reform in Latvia

Rapporteurs of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Monitoring Committee Erik Jurgens and Kimmo Sasi visit Latvia in order to evaluate minority situation and implementation of the education reform. Yesterday officials discussed implementation of the education reform with the representatives of two Riga minority schools and non-governmental organizations. During the meeting with the PACE rapporteurs, minority schools’ students have stated that they know Latvian language well enough to be competitive at the job market, at the same time insisting that it is impossible to learn chemistry, physics and algebra in Latvian, as they will need translation to Russian in order to understand the exercise. According to the students, they have nothing against acquiring several subjects in English, as this language is applicable in many states.

Rapporteurs of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Monitoring Committee Erik Jurgens and Kimmo Sasi visit Latvia in order to evaluate minority situation and implementation of the education reform. Yesterday officials discussed implementation of the education reform with the representatives of two Riga minority schools and non-governmental organizations. During the meeting with the PACE rapporteurs, minority schools students have stated that they know Latvian language well enough to be competitive at the job market, at the same time insisting that it is impossible to learn chemistry, physics and algebra in Latvian, as they will need translation to Russian in order to understand the exercise. According to the students, they have nothing against acquiring several subjects in English, as this language is applicable in many states. Vesti Segodnya informs about the unapproved picket against education reform, organized by the representatives of the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language schools at the time of the rapporteurs visit. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Telegraf

During the meeting of the representatives from the state institutions, Riga City Council and non-governmental organizations, a necessity to reach a compromise in the area of education reform has been recognized. The member of the board of NGO “Baltic Forum” Abrams Kleckins has pointed to the need of actively involving teachers (especially the Latvian language teachers from minority schools) and specialists, who are able to evaluate impact of the education reform on the level of minority students’ academic achievement.

During the meeting of the representatives from the state institutions, Riga City Council and non-governmental organizations, a necessity to reach a compromise in the area of education reform has been recognized. The member of the board of NGO Baltic Forum Abrams Kleckins has pointed to the need of actively involving teachers (especially the Latvian language teachers from minority schools) and specialists, who are able to evaluate impact of the education reform on the level of minority students academic achievement. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize features an article about surprising similarities between positions of the Latvias First Party and the Peoples Harmony Party on society integration issues. The author of the article Inara Murniece points to the lack of a particular stand on the issues of state language and education reform in the government declaration, stressing that it is possible to interpret it very freely. Comparing programs of Peoples Harmony Party and Latvias First Party and statements of their representatives, Inara Murniece concludes that they differ only in the area of implementation of the education reform, while both agree on necessity of ratifying the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities as soon as possible, and on simplification of the naturalization procedures.

Arabian TV channel

Arabian TV channel Al-Dzazira is planning to prepare a broadcast about implementation of the education reform in Latvia. Chas