Assault on another Polish school in Vilnius

We constantly inform our readers about the ongoing actions of Lithuanian authorities aimed at the Polish education in Lithuania. Today, the information about the assault on another Polish school in Vilnius spread around the Polish community in Lithuania.

In relation to new advances of the government, Strike Committees of Polish schools in Lithuania, Parents’ Forum of Polish Schools in Lithuania and Schools’ Defense Committees popularized the statement connected to the devastation of Polish elementary school in Jerozolimka.

‘We oppose harming and closing the historic school in Vilnius district Jerozolimka as of 1st September 2015. A psychological pressure has been put on parents so that they write applications with regard to taking their children from the school in Jerozolimka. Liberal-conservative coalition eliminates the next Polish, historic school in Vilnius using administrative tools, by intimidating and manipulating the parents’ – as we read in the statement.

Polish parents warn that closing the school will lead to the deprivation of the possibility of teaching many Polish children from families living in a few Vilnius districts in the mother tongue – Polish.

‘We demand the punishment of the guilty so that they deal with consequences of unlawful actions. Closing the school in Jerozolimka causes the lack of possibility of learning in Polish in this part of Vilnius: in Verkiai, Santoryszki, Bołtupie and Jerozolimka’ – parents don’t cover the anxiety.

The authors of the statement call upon the non-discrimination of Polish children.

‘We demand opening the new elementary school in Jerozolimka in the separate room and administration. There is a justification for the existence of the elementary school in Jerozolimka, as it is evident i.e. from the parents’ applications and the fact that 20% of Poles live in this part of the city. The necessity of immediate rebuilding of Polish elementary school in this part of Vilnius is evident. We strongly protest against the discrimination of Polish children in Jerozolimka district and in Verkiai, Santoryszki and Bołtupie’ – the claim has been adressed i.e. to the president Dalia Grybauskaitė, the MP Algirdas Butkevičius, the Minister of Education and Science Audronė Pitrėnienė and to the mayor of Vilnius Remigijus Šimašius.