| Russian schoolchildren are fighting Latvian education After a short lull, protests by Russian schoolchildren have resumed in Latvia. In February, the Latvian parliament decided that from September 1, in the senior classes of state Russian secondary schools, education will be conducted primarily in the Latvian language. The wave of demonstrations that arose then showed that Latvia was failing to implement in practice the right of citizens to receive education in their native language.
But official Riga stands its ground. Now, for the first time, the Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools has called on children to go on strike - in other words, to truancy. Yesterday morning, about 20 thousand people - not only Riga residents, but also residents of other cities - gathered at the monument to Jānis Rainis in Riga. They chanted “No to reform!” and “Hands off Russian schools!” Then a long column of schoolchildren went to the Cabinet of Ministers building.
Education Minister Juris Radzevich received representatives of the headquarters, who presented him with a statement signed by opponents of the reform. Mr. Radzevich commented on what was happening very vaguely, but defiantly shook hands with the defenders of Russian schools in front of the cameras.
Mr. Radzevich personally conducts checks of readiness for reform in almost every Russian school in Latvia. To a direct question about the possibility of introducing a moratorium on the reform, the minister answered briefly: “We are not going to change the law on education. And without this, it is impossible to introduce a moratorium on the reform until 2007, as proposed by the Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools. The date September 1, 2004 is written precisely in this law.”
Latvian news agencies LETA and BNS report that the children's protest did not find much support. However, headquarters activist Yuri Petropavlovsky claimed that at least 60 schools throughout Latvia took part in the strike. It is very difficult to count the number of “ideological” truants: school principals are afraid to admit that their students are participating in protests.
The head of the Latvian Security Police, Jānis Reiniks, announced yesterday that criminal cases may be opened against some protesters. “An unregistered organization calling itself the Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools is no longer able to control the situation,” Mr. Reinix said. Petropavlovsky does not agree with him. According to him, “everything ended well.” According to the police press service, two people were detained for coming too close to the US Embassy building.
Tonight, a mass demonstration will again take place in the center of Riga, for which the City Duma did not give permission. Mr. Petropavlovsky predicts that approximately 15 thousand people will take part in this event, called “Open Lesson”. Opponents of the reform hope that teachers and parents will join children after the end of the working day.
The headquarters is planning another mass action for May 1 - the day of Latvia's official entry into the EU. Opponents of education reform do not hide the fact that they are counting on foreign journalists, of whom there will be many in Latvia on this day. What form the protest will take has not yet been decided. Much depends on the position of the Riga City Council, with which opponents of the reform need to coordinate their measures. Danuta DEMBOVSKAYA, Riga |
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