Jan Dziedziczak: Education is the Number One Topic

“The situation of Polish education in Lithuania is the most important topic for us” Jan Dzedziczak, the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who, among other things, is responsible for the affairs of the Polish Community Abroad, assured the representatives of the Polish community in Lithuania. Undersecretary Dziedziczak came to Vilnius to discuss the issues concerning Polish people living in Lithuania.

In the beginning of the meeting, which took place at the House of Polish Culture in Vilnius, Jan Dzedziczak emphasised that the issues concerning Poles living in Lithuania are important for him because he is emotionally connected with the Vilnius Region. “My family lived here, my mother was born here. That makes me even more co-responsible for what happens to our compatriots here in Vilnius, and the Vilnius Region. There are many topics to discuss, and a lot must be improved. The Polish Government is ready to do a lot to help the Polish community. We will not stop the discussion.”

Education is the number one topic, as Dziedziczak repeatedly emphasised. The first decisions have already been made. Each first-grade student of an elementary school and each student of a graduation class will receive financial help of 500 zlotys from the Polish Government. The requests to organise camps in Poland for children, courses and trainings for teachers, and to release course books for Polish schools, will also be taken into consideration.

During the meeting with the representatives of the Association of Poles in Lithuania, the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania, the Association of Teachers of Polish Schools in Lithuania “Macierz Szkolna,” the Parents’ Forum at Polish Schools, and the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association in Lithuania also other topics were raised. These topics were:  the realisation of the Polish-Lithuanian Treaty provisions, the preservation of the Polish heritage and the protection of the national memorial areas, the presence of the Polish television in Lithuania, a financial help for the Polish-language media in Lithuania. Summing up the meeting, Jan Dziedziczak told Wilnoteka that it was a very interesting talk, of which the most important aim was to listen to the voice of the Polish community.

Jan Dziedziczak assured that although the current Polish Government just began their work, they already made plans to support the compatriots in Lithuania.