MINELRES: Latvia: LAShOR's address to UN CERD on the occasion of consideration of Latvia's report

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Igor Pimenov <lashor@inbox.lv>


Information Note
on the transition of minorities' education to the state (Latvian)
language

Prepared by:
Latvian Association for Support of Schools with Russian Language of
Instruction (LAShOR)

6th August, 2003


1. In Latvia, as of 1995 the transition of minorities' education to the
state (Latvian) language is under way. The purpose of the transition as
proclaimed by the State is the improvement of the education of
minorities and the better competitiveness of them in the labour market
by improving of their Latvian language skills. However, the real
objective of the transition that is not concealed by politicians is to
provide better conditions for the strengthening of Latvian at the
expense of the Russian language in Latvia by means of contraction of the
area of usage of Russian. The transition can deteriorate the maintenance
of cultural identity of Russian-speakers in Latvia and their economic
competitiveness.

2. In the primary school, the bilingual education is used to provide for
further instruction in Latvian in secondary school. The bilingual
education is usually reduced to a mechanical substitution of the Russian
language of instruction by the Latvian one. Public surveys and multiple
claims of parents point out that it results in the aggravation of the
quality of school education.

3. In the secondary school, the new government standards of education
for minorities stipulate that as of 1 September 2004 up to 40 per cent
of study lessons may be instructed in the minority language. However, we
consider this figure too low to provide for a qualitative secondary
education.

The same standards stipulate that the state exams should be taken only
in Latvian (rather than in the native language). This provision still
stronger limits the opportunity of the schoolmaster of determining
subjects to be instructed in the native language of students.

4. The state forces the reform upon the parents and children without any
consultation with them and without any consultation with minority
organisations. The Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Education
and Science that politicians usually to refer may not express the
opinion of minorities as most of the Committee members are the state
officers or municipal workers dependant on the state authorities.

5. The civil society offers the alternative reform of minority education
that can meet the demands of integration of the society. This proposal
though formally accepted by the executive power is discredited by the
Ministry of Education and Science and ignored.

6. The activities of civil society that were democratically structured
within parents' conferences and public campaigns, that gathered
thousands of supporters, were neglected and arrogantly ignored by
authorities.
 
7. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in its Resolution
1236 (2001) and other international organisations address the Republic
of Latvia with appeal to keep a dialogue with parents. In the meantime,
politicians and the governments ignore these demands and recommendations
and refuse to keep an essential dialogue with organisations of parents.

The restriction of instruction in the native language of minorities
contradicts with the nowadays practices, standards of minority rights
and the Accession criteria of the Copenhagen European Council, 1993. The
transition of the education of minorities to the Latvian language is in
collision with The Hague Recommendations of OSCE Regarding the Education
Rights of National Minorities.

8. It is the fact that the system of minority education already exists
in Latvia. The reform is going to result in demolition rather than in
improvement of it. 

A well-developed system of minority schools exists in Latvia, where
98,6% of minority students study in Russian. It was established as far
back as in 1919 in an independent state of Latvia and kept on developing
during the soviet period, though only Russian schools remained open
after 1940, and schools of other minorities were closed. As the
independence of Latvia was restored, the Polish, Jewish, Byelorussian
and Lithuanian schools were re-established as well.

International standards of human rights for minorities stipulate a
minimum of the rights that states should ensure. However, the education
system that all residents of Latvia had equally benefited from before
the regaining of state independence in 1991 offered opportunities that
excelled the minimum then. 

Now, after Russian-speakers have become a minority in Latvia, these
opportunities are in the process of gradual reduction for them. The
international legislation accepts it as formally legal since these
opportunities are still above the minimum, but people belonging to the
minority regard it as the violation of their rights and vivid
discrimination.

Therefore the minority considers the state policy of the Republic of
Latvia as undemocratic and unfair. It is getting to be the source of
social tension and perhaps the most critical internal problem of Latvia.
-------------------------------------

Curriculum Vitae
Latvian Association for Support of Schools with Russian Language of
Instruction
(LAShOR)

Established and registered in 1996.

Purpose	
to promote development of education in the Russian Language in Latvia

Tasks	
to support Russian Language Schools, develop education programs, promote
the solution of problems of school education, establish relations with
organizations aiming at the same objectives, promote interethnic
integration by means of school education, keep dialogue with state
institutions, contact international organizations

Major Activities	 	

Conference On Consequences of Transition of Education to the State
(Latvian) Language, April 1998, 75 participants

Conference Education in the Native Language - Prerequisite and Means of
Natural Integration, October 1998, 120 participants

Discussion Divisions Language and Education of the Government Concept of
Integration of the Society in Latvia - the viewpoint of minorities
(together with Soros Foundation - Latvia). April 1999, 150 participants

Conference of the Parents of Latvia To study in the Mother Tongue,
November 2000, 500 participants

2nd Conference of the Parents of Latvia To study in the Mother Tongue,
November 2001, 1200 participants

3rd Conference of the Parents of Latvia To study in the Mother Tongue,
September 2002, 900 participants

The alternative specimens of primary and secondary education programmes
for minority schools in Latvia have been worked out and produced to the
state Ministry of Education and Science, 2001

Critique of the current transition of minorities education to the
instruction in the state language, commenced by the government,
1998-2003

The meeting "For the free choice of the language of instruction!"
organized by LAShOR, took place in Riga centre on May 23, 2003, about 10
000 participants

Festival The Day of Russian Education and Culture in Latvia, January
2000, January 2001, January 2002, January 2003

Details: 
mail address: Ieriku iela 12-13, Riga, LV-1084, Latvija
e-mail: lashor@inbox.lv
Phone +371-9447100
Fax +371-7602479
www.lashor.lv