Ethnic Poles in Lithuania are anticipating a serious education crisis in Polish schools in the Vilnius region.

The concerns of the Polish minority in Lithuania comes after a law signed on 30 March by President Dalia Grybauskaite, which envisages the liquidation of some of the ic minority schools there and conducting classes in chosen subjects only in Lithuanian, in those which remain.

Discussion on the new education law in the Lithuanian parliament had lasted for several months with representatives of ethnic minorities demanding respect for what they claim are their basic rights.

“The MPs had put in writing their fears and introduced them into legal practice,” Edward Trusewicz, secretary of the Union of Poles in Lithuania told Polish Radio.

In his opinion, the law will entail a deterioration of the situation of Polish schools in the Vilnius region to an extent not even noted in times of Soviet communist rule in Lithuania.

Trusewicz added that Lithuanian lawmakers have forgotten about the principle of EU plurality in which ethnic minorities constitute its main asset.

According to the Union of Poles in Lithuania the new education law may contribute to the closure of 60 out of the 120 Polish schools currently operating in the capital region.  (ss)

Related stories:

Minority concerns over amended education law in Lithuania , thenews.pl March 31

Lithuanian obligatory at Polish schools? , thenews.pl March 17

Ethnic Poles success in local elections in Lithuania , thenews.pl March 10