The Minister of Education of Poland defends Polish schools in Lithuania

Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska, The Minister of Education, writes a letter to the counterpart in the Lithuanian government in defense of Polish schools in Lithuania – Polish department informed today.

‘Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska contacted today with the representatives of Polish minorities by the telephone. Interlocutors of the Minister – Edyta Zubel, the director of Joachim Lelewel High School in Vilnius and Renata Cytacka from the Polish Schools Parents’ Forum in Lithuania informed her about the situation of Polish schools and the reasons behind the demonstration. It is about the discrimination of the Polish minority, as they emphasized’ – as it was stated in the report of the Ministry of Education.

‘The Lithuanian government decided to make uniform the education and the Lithuanian language exam. As a result, students attending the national minorities’ schools would have to make up for hundreds of hours. Consequently, on 2nd September in Lithuania, the strike in the Polish schools has begun’ – as we read in the report.

The organizers of the strike are as follows: Strike Committees of Polish Schools in Lithuania, Parents’ Forum of Polish Schools in Lithuania and School Defense Committees.

Despite numerous protests and against the will of 60 000 inhabitants, who put their signatures against the amendment of the Law on Education, the amendments became valid on 17th March 2011. They were accepted only from political reasons and without the slightest preparation to their realization on the part of the state. All the attempts and proposals of parents, teachers and students have not been heard out. Last events in Vilnius made worse the situation in the education branch to a high extent. Liberal-conservative coalition uses blackmail and double standards in education’ – as it was written in the special statement of the Parents’ Forum of Polish Schools in Lithuania.