Discussion about Polish schools in the Department of National Minorities

Department of National Minorities to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania invited representatives of the Polish community to talk about Polish education. In front of the Department, on Raugyklos 25 Street, parents of Polish students picketed against the discrimination of national minorities education, refusal to accredit schools and the act of closing schools.

The representatives of the Polish community were invited to the meeting, including delegates from Forum Rodziców Szkół Polskich na Litwie (Forum of parents of children attending Polish schools in Lithuania) and “Macierz Szkolna” (“School Matrix”): Danuta Narbut, Adam Błaszkiewicz, Józef Kwiatkowski, Krystyna Dzierżyńska. The Government of Lithuania was represented by the employees of the Department as well as Deputy Chancellor Rimantas Vaitkus and Deputy Minister of Education and Science Natalija Istomina.

In front of the building of the Department, a picket attended by students and parents of Polish schools took place. The representative of Forum Rodziców Szkół Polskich and councilwoman from Vilnius Renata Cytacka said that she is counting on the Department of National Minorities to work out “proper proposals for the Government and the Ministry of Education”.

„The Department is only an advisory body. The decisions are supposed to be made by the Government or the President, in the Ministry of Education and Science. We can see that these decisions are of political nature, children and students are being forgotten. For us, parents, children’s well-being is of utmost importance” – said Renata Cytacka.