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.

• Representative of the Ombudsman’s Office: proposal of the Ombudsman to transfer education in all secondary schools into Latvian language only was misunderstood
• Igors Pimenovs: LAShOR does not support the proposal of the Ombudsman
• Sub-committee on Patriotic Education supports proposal to set the proportion of Latvian music on Latvian radio stations in amount of 40%.

Representative of the Ombudsman’s Office Ruta Silina, in an interview with Telegraf, says that the proposal of the Ombudsman to transfer education in all secondary schools into Latvian language only was misunderstood. According to Mrs Silina, the Ombudsman cares about quality of education of students in Russian language schools and there is no question about transfer of education in all schools into Latvian only but about how to ensure quality of bilingual education in national minority schools. As reported, the presentation of the results of monitoring of bilingual education conducted by the Ombudsman’s Office stated that because 50% of students in national minority schools have good Latvian language skills there should be the transition to instruction in Latvian language only.

According to the Head of the Latvian Association for Support of Schools with Russian Language of Instruction (LAShOR), MP Igors Pimenovs (Concord Centre), the LAShOR does not support the proposal of the Ombudsman to transfer education in all national minority schools into Latvian language only. Mr Pimenovs believes that such action would split the society on ethnic lines and it would violate Latvia's international commitments and historical traditions of education in minority languages. At the same time, commenting the fact that the Ombudsman Juris Jansons was appointed to this post by the initiative of the Concord Centre, Mr Pimenovs says that, presently, the party is not planning to demand the resignation of the Ombudsman and, in general, evaluates the Ombudsman’s work as successful. Vesti Segodnya

The Saeima’s sub-committee on Patriotic Education supported a proposal of the Latvian Association on Development of Musical Industry to set that the proportion of Latvian music on Latvian radio stations should be 40%.  It is proposed to set that 20% of music should be in Latvian language and 20% - music produced in Latvia. Vesti Segodnya