Education and Science, EU – Baltic States, Legislation, Lithuania

The rally is also followed by the Polish radio and TV, newspapers and representatives of other media means. The gathering was organised by the Lithuanian Polish Schools Parents Forum, supported by the Union of Poles in Lithuania, the Society of the Teachers at the Lithuanian Polish Schools Macierz Szkolna, the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania, the political party Russian Alliance and the Society of the Teachers at the Lithuanian Russian Schools, reports LETA/ELTA.

The participants protest about the new Law on Education which, according to them, introduces a compulsory bilingual teaching at ethnic minorities schools. They rally against the unification of the mother tongue and the Lithuanian language teaching programmes and exam system. As of this school year, the Lithuanian language teaching has been strengthened in all primary and secondary schools of minorities. The Lithuanian geography and history classes will be also delivered in Lithuania, as well as the formation of civic attitudes. "Polish minority education system in Lithuania is rather unique on a world scale as Lithuania is the only foreign country where the Poles have education service delivered in Polish from the kindergarten level to universities," said Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius.

Education and Science Minister Gintaras Steponavicius stressed the protests against the law are beneficial to the Polish politicians rather than the community itself. He said he had data that pupils of some ethnic minorities schools are under pressure to skip the classes in Lithuanian and take part in unauthorized rallies.