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.

• Articles about two-stream (Latvian and Russian) schools in Latvia
• Latvijas Avize reports on the formation of regional branches of the NGO United Congress of the Russian Community in Latvia (OKROL)
• Teacher of the Riga Primary School of Applied Arts in the name of Oskars Kalpaks Marks Gurjevs talks about the attitude of Latvian students towards the Russian language
• Interview with the director of the Rezekne Polish School Valentina Sidlovska
• Interview with the Head of the Union of Teachers of Russian Schools in Estonia Union Ludmila Polakova
• Latvian government nominates a new European Commissioner

Newspapers feature articles about two-stream schools in Latvia.

Newspapers feature articles about two-stream schools in Latvia. Neatkariga Rita Avize reports on a positive practise at the Carnikava Primary School. According to the director of the school Inta Lemesonoka, Russian students of this school have no problems in relation to the implementation of the education reform because already from the fifth grade they are taught with bilingual methodology – in Latvian and in Russian and in the 8th grade several subjects are taught only in Latvian. Latvijas Avize refers to the study of the Baltic Institute of Social Sciences ‘Dual-Stream Schools –Assessment of an Example of Bilingual Education. There are 98 two-stream schools in Latvia, the majority of them is located in Latgale (44) and Vidzeme (30, out of them 19 in the Riga district). Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize prints an article about the formation of the regional branches of the NGO the United Congress of the Russian Community in Latvia (OKROL –abbreviation of organisations name in Russian) and features opinions of the representatives of those municipalities where the organisation has formed its branches. The Jelgava Vice-mayor Irena Skutane states that the newly established organisation ‘actively advocates against the Law on Education. The Mayor of Rezekne Juris Zacests reports that attempts of the OKROL to expand its activities in Rezekne have failed as the residents of the city do not support activities of the organisation.

Neatkariga Rita Avize features an article by the teacher of the Riga Primary School of Applied Arts in the name of Oskars Kalpaks Marks Gurjevs about the attitude of Latvian students towards the Russian language and their relationships with Russians. According to the teacher, Latvian students do not object to learning Russian at school. Moreover, a dominant majority of Latvian students already speaks Russian. The author also states that Russian children do not feel uncomfortably in Latvian schools – they are active and have no problems to communicate their Latvian peers.

Latvijas Avize prints an interview with the director of the Rezekne Polish School Valentina Sidlovska. According to the director, all subjects, but the Polish language, the geography of Poland and foreign languages, are taught in Latvian at school.

Vesti Segodnya features an interview with the head of the Union of Teacehers of Russian Schools in Estonia Ludmila Polakova about the forthcoming implementation of the minority education reform in Russian-language Schools in Estonia. Ludmila Polakova states that the principle of voluntary participation in the transition to teaching several subjects in Estonian has been considered as schools have the right to choose subjects to be taught in Estonian.

Following the call of the new President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso to replace Latvia’s candidate for the post of commissioner Ingrida Udre, the Latvian government has nominated Andris Piebalgs, the former head of the Latvia’s Mission to the European Union and the Head of the Cabinet of the present Commissioner Sandra Kalniete.

Following the call of the new President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso to replace Latvias candidate for the post of commissioner Ingrida Udre, the Latvian government has nominated Andris Piebalgs, the former head of the Latvias Mission to the European Union and the Head of the Cabinet of the present Commissioner Sandra Kalniete. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Rigas Balss, Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf