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.

• Diena reports on problems faced by schools when implementing the minority education reform
• Peoples Harmony Party calls to ratify the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities without reservations
• Union of Greens and Farmers submits to Saeima a draft declaration on the Soviet occupation

Diena reports on problems faced by schools when implementing the minority education reform. The daily looks into issues at the Riga Secondary School No 30. The school conducted the students opinion poll and it reveals that only three out of eight subjects, which according to the Law should be taught in the Latvian language, are taught in Latvian. 25% students admitted that they are not able to learn in Latvian. While teachers state that Latvian language proficiency of many students is very low therefore teachers should provide translation of classes in Russian. The native language is frequently used also in cases when modern teaching methods, such as working groups, role-plays, are applied. Several teachers admit that the quality of education is getting worse.

The People’s Harmony Party has issued a statement calling to ratify the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities without any reservations. According to the authors of the call, state’s lingering with ratification of the Convention hampers harmonisation of the Latvian legislation with international standards in the area of minority rights and brings tension in society.

The Peoples Harmony Party has issued a statement calling to ratify the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities without any reservations. According to the authors of the call, states lingering with ratification of the Convention hampers harmonisation of the Latvian legislation with international standards in the area of minority rights and brings tension in society. Chas

Yesterday the Union of Greens and Farmers submitted to Saeima a draft declaration on the Soviet occupation. The draft declaration calls the European Parliament and the states of anti-Hitler coalition to ‘release Latvia from the obligation to provide the place of residency to citizens of another states and their descendants who came to Latvia during the Soviet occupation.’ According to the draft declaration, hundreds of thousand Latvia’s Russian-speakers, who identify themselves as a part of the Russia’s society, are ill-disposed towards the Latvian culture and demand specific privileges concerning language, education and citizenship. One of the authors of the declaration Leopolds Ozolins believes that the situation when 40% of residents of Latvia are Russian-speakers is not natural. In his opinion the best solution would be repatriation of all former State Security Committee officials, veterans and Russian-speaking Latvian non-citizens to Russia. The Russian language newspaper

Yesterday the Union of Greens and Farmers submitted to Saeima a draft declaration on the Soviet occupation. The draft declaration calls the European Parliament and the states of anti-Hitler coalition to ‘release Latvia from the obligation to provide the place of residency to citizens of another states and their descendants who came to Latvia during the Soviet occupation. According to the draft declaration, hundreds of thousand Latvias Russian-speakers, who identify themselves as a part of the Russias society, are ill-disposed towards the Latvian culture and demand specific privileges concerning language, education and citizenship. One of the authors of the declaration Leopolds Ozolins believes that the situation when 40% of residents of Latvia are Russian-speakers is not natural. In his opinion the best solution would be repatriation of all former State Security Committee officials, veterans and Russian-speaking Latvian non-citizens to Russia. The Russian language newspaper Vesti Segodnya writes that the declaration may be adopted by Saeima until 9 May. Vesti Segodnya