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.

• Conference on social integration issues
• Round-table discussions on the implementation of the minority education reform in Jelgava
• Experience of the Tukums minority secondary school No 3 in the implementation of the education reform
• Vesti Segodnya writes about weekly courses for non-citizens on naturalisation and civil rights
• New video clip against the education reform will be produced
• Vesti Segodnya reports on the award ceremony of the competition, organised by the LASHOR in the framework of the Russian Culture Days

Last Friday the Latvian Social Democratic Labour Party (LSDLP) organised a conference on social integration issues. LSDLP reproached other parties for excluding non-Latvians from power-sharing process and argued that the LSDLP has contributed to social integration by involving ethnic minorities in activities of Riga City Council. The former Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Nils Muiznieks also took part in the conference and stated that there is no necessity to amend the Citizenship Law to speed up naturalisation in Latvia. The former minister also noted that Latvian language learning should not be only a responsibility of non-citizens, but also the state should have some responsibility, in particular allocate funding for organising courses.

Last Friday the Latvian Social Democratic Labour Party (LSDLP) organised a conference on social integration issues. LSDLP reproached other parties for excluding non-Latvians from power-sharing process and argued that the LSDLP has contributed to social integration by involving ethnic minorities in activities of Riga City Council. The former Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Nils Muiznieks also took part in the conference and stated that there is no necessity to amend the Citizenship Law to speed up naturalisation in Latvia. The former minister also noted that Latvian language learning should not be only a responsibility of non-citizens, but also the state should have some responsibility, in particular allocate funding for organising courses. Latvijas Avize

Russian-language newspapers feature articles about the round-table discussion on the implementation of the minority education reform in Jelgava, organised by the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia and the Russian society

Russian-language newspapers feature articles about the round-table discussion on the implementation of the minority education reform in Jelgava, organised by the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia and the Russian society Veche. Teachers and politicians, who took part in the discussions, pointed out that minority students have big difficulties to understand subjects taught in Latvian. One of participants stated that ‘students are complaining of headache and many of them have lost interest towards learning. However, a number of parents noted that their children are doing well. Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Latvijas Avize features an article about the implementation of the education reform in the Tukums minority secondary school No 3. According to the director of the school Eriks Lukmans, students and their parents accept the reform although there are several problems in its implementation. The director says that ‘for example, new biology textbooks for 10th grade in the Latvian language were promised a long time ago, however, they are not published yet. He adds that in this case students use textbooks in Russian although the curriculum stipulates that biology in the 10th grade should be taught in Latvian. 354 students – Ukrainians, Belorussians, Roma, as well as Latvians study at this school.

Vesti Segodnya prints an article about weekly courses for non-citizens on naturalisation and civil rights. The courses are provided by the NGO ‘Civic Initiative XXI. The courses provide information about the history of minorities in Latvia, as well as citizen rights and EU legislation.

Approximately 17 representatives of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-language Schools led by Genadijs Kotovs, who is running for post of mayor of Riga City Council in municipal elections, assembled near the monument of Latvian poet Janis Rainis to express their negative attitude towards the education reform and produce a video clip.

Approximately 17 representatives of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-language Schools led by Genadijs Kotovs, who is running for post of mayor of Riga City Council in municipal elections, assembled near the monument of Latvian poet Janis Rainis to express their negative attitude towards the education reform and produce a video clip. Latvijas Avize

Vesti Segodnya reports on the award ceremony of the competition, organised by the Latvian Association for Support of Russian-language Schools in the framework of the Russian Culture Days. The Russian students submitted essays about histories of their families.