In Sejny and Sołeczniki a discussion about problems of national minority groups

Representatives of the Polish-Lithuanian Dialogue and Cooperation Forum of J. Giedrojć have visited Sejny and Sołczniki this week. In Sejny they have met with representatives of Lithuanian minority living there, in Sołeczniki – with Polish society.

During visits in Sejny and Sołeczniki representatives of the Forum had the opportunity to acknowledge themselves with problems of Lithuanians living in Poland and Poles living in Lithuania. ‘In this place gathered up not businessmen, but mainly journalists, so the main aim that we want to achieve is to disseminate information about national minorities in Lithuania and Poland, in order to be objective and exhaustive’ – said the chairman of the management board of the Polish-Lithuanian Dialogue and Cooperation Forum of J. Giedrojć – Alvydas Nikžentaitis.

During the meeting in Sołeczniki a lot of attention was focused on education problems. The manager of the Department of Education and Sport in the Local Government of Sołeczniki Region – Regina Markiewicz mentioned the subject of standardization of Matura exam from the Lithuanian language in Lithuanian and national minority schools. ‘In previous years we had “hundreds”, in the year 2012 43 graduates took the national exam with the result from 50 to 90 points. Last year such a result had only 18 graduates. There was not any “hundred”, so this exam was introduced too early, two-years’ transitional period was really too short’ – said R. Markiewicz.

‘We are not foreigners, we are Lithuanian citizens, but from other nationality, that is why in the initial classes the schedule should be adjusted to capabilities of our children’ – highlighted the representative of the Parents’ Forum of Polish Schools of Sołeczniki Region – Jarosław Pieszko who initiated the subject of teaching Lithuanian language in the initial classes.

Representatives of the Polish society in Sołeczniki participating in the discussion claimed that they do not want the assimilation, but they want to feel Lithuanian citizens with full rights.

the Polish-Lithuanian Dialogue and Cooperation Forum of J. Giedrojć was launched in the year 2012 from the initiative of Polish and Lithuanian intellectuals. To this Forum belong historians, journalists, social activists, cultural representatives.

On the basis of: salcininkai.lt, lrt.lt

Source: http://www.wilnoteka.lt/pl/artykul/w-sejnach-i-solecznikach-o-problemach-mniejszosci-narodowych

Tłumaczenie by Ewelina Filonik w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Ewelina Filonik within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.