Some protesters came to the action carrying Polish and Lithuanian flags, as well as various posters.
“Leave our schools alone,” proclaimed one of them, which a young protester had hung around his neck.
Also seen at the Seimas are the leader of the Lithuanian Polish Election Campaign-Union of Christian Families (LLRA-KŠS), Waldemaras Tomaszewskis, former Minister of Transport Jaroslavas Narkevičius, and member of the Seimas Rita Tamašunienė.
The participants of the procession, who stopped in front of the Government, chanted “Government out!”, “No to discrimination once morest schools of national minorities”.
The motives are different
15min interviewed protest participants expressed more than one reason why they came to protest on Saturday.
Community representatives of Andrzej Stelmachovskis Primary School in Old Trakai claimed that they came because they are afraid that their school will be closed.
“We care regarding our school. We have been fighting for several years because they want to reorganize us, even though we meet all the criteria. We also match the discounts that are applied to national minorities, but this is not taken into account,” said elementary school teacher Elvyra.
At the same time, she asserted that there is no shortage of Lithuanian language teaching – five lessons a week are enough, and the children do not have problems later during exams.
At that time, Nijolė, a primary school teacher at Butrimoniai Anna Krepštul Gymnasium in Šalčininkai District, said she was afraid that the school would no longer teach in Polish.
“We want our children to study in their native Polish language for 12 years (…) It is planned that the 11th-12th grade will be taught only in the Lithuanian language,” said the woman, holding a small Polish flag in her hand.
She also said she fears there will be fewer Polish lessons, which are now seven a week. At that time, there are five lessons of the Lithuanian language.
Minister’s address to the organizers
The protest is organized by the Polish Union of Lithuania, which opposes the proposals of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports to increase the teaching of the Lithuanian language in schools of national minorities.
At that time, the Minister of Education Gintautas Jakštas claims that no decisions have been made yet – a discussion is underway, but even the schools of national minorities themselves want more Lithuanian language teaching.
Pauliaus Peleckis/BNS photo/Gintautas Jakštas
At the same time, the minister said that this protest is political, and some politicians are sowing anxiety and manipulating for their own benefit.
“This is some kind of provocation”
LLRA-KŠS leader W. Tomaszewskis, who visited the protest, testified that the minister is not right.
“And what is politics?” What is the concept of politics? It is a way to achieve the common good. Everything is politics – school, language, and social affairs,” said W. Tomaszewski.
“If someone makes such a comment, then someone has no other arguments,” he added.
He also revealed why the protest was being organized.
“There are attempts to establish additional classes in our schools where the Lithuanian language would be taught, although, for example, the network of Lithuanian schools in Vilnius is sufficient. This is some kind of provocation, especially in such a difficult political situation,” said the politician.
According to him, “lies and hypocrisy” are the minister’s statements that some schools of national minorities themselves seek to have more Lithuanian language teaching in Polish schools.
“Mobbed schools”
Member of the Seimas, Rita Tamašunienė, assured that Poles in Lithuania are worried regarding the situation in the schools of national minorities in the capital.
“The capital’s national minority schools are being mobbed – tasks are being planned for the principals to introduce one Lithuanian class at a time, even though the schools are overcrowded, and there is a Lithuanian school right here, across the street,” said the politician.
Lukas Balandis/BNS photo/Rita Tamašunienė
According to her, it would be better to strengthen the training of teachers in the teaching of the Lithuanian language in schools of national minorities, to divide the children into groups when teaching the Lithuanian language.
“Everyone wants to know it well, but to reduce the rights to study in the mother tongue, to reorganize schools – this also contradicts international legal acts,” said R. Tamašunienė.
According to her, the Ministry of Education is “preparing the ground” for future decisions, which this protest action is trying to prevent.
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2024-04-02 08:00:16
