Support of Poland, Polish and Polonia organizations

As of the beginning of the school year, Poland, Polish and Polonia organizations expressed support for the demands of Polish parents, who fight for the right of their children to receive education in their mother tongue in Lithuania.

On 2nd September the Minister of National Education of Poland Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska wrote a letter to the Minister of Education and Science of Lithuania Audronė Pitrėnienė with a request to reconsider the demands of the parents of students of Polish schools in Lithuania.

On 3rd September the Polish Minister of Education wrote a letter to the parents of students of Polish schools in Lithuania in which she noted that she 'can feel their worries.'

In the beginning of September the Forum of the Parents of Polish Schools in Lithuania received a letter from Jolanta Tatara, the President of the Congress of Polonia Education.
'The Congress of Polonia Education expresses its support for the decisions of pedagogues and parents regarding the discriminatory politics of the Republic of Lithuania against Polish schools in Lithuania,' says the letter.

Polish parents were also supported by the biggest Polish social organizations in Lithuania, i.e. Association of Poles in Lithuania, Association of Polish Schools Teachers in Lithuania 'Macierz Szkolna' (Polish Educational Society).

Another blow
On 3rd September the news on the effort to destroy a Polish school in the Vilnius district Jeruzalė spread in the city.

As we already mentioned, thanks to the efforts of Polish community, 6 secondary schools were already saved this year in the Vilnius region. Unfortunately, the ruling group in Vilnius under the auspices of the mayor of the capital Remigijus Šimašius managed to close a Polish school in this district: parents were not allowed to submit entrance applications, while the school - accept them.

In connection with the actions of the Vilnius authorities, Strike Committees of the Polish Schools in Lithuania, Forum of the Parents of Polish Schools in Lithuania, and Committees of the Defence of Schools disseminated a statement on the destruction of a Polish basic school in Jeruzalė.

'We protest against the destruction and closure of the historic school in the Vilnius district Jeruzalė on 1st September 2015. Parents were forced to submit applications of taking away their children from the school in Jeruzalė. The liberal-conservative coalition liquidates another Polish historic school in Vilnius with the use of administrative measures, by intimidating parents,' said the statement.

Parents stressed, that the closure of this school will deprive children of education opportunities in the Polish mother tongue in several neighbourhoods of Vilnius.

'We demand to punish the guilty. They should suffer the consequences of unlawful actions,' stated worried parents.

Authors of the statement demanded the opening of the new Polish basic school in this district.

'We demand the opening of the new Polish basic school in Jeruzalė in a separate building and with separate administration. The school would be useful for sure, as 20 percent of Poles live in this district. We protest against the discrimination of Polish children in the districts of Jeruzalė, Verkiai, Santariškės and Baltupiai,' said the statement. Parents sent it to the President Dalia Grybauskaitė, Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius, Minister of Education and Science Audronė Pitrėnienė, Mayor of Vilnius Remigijus Šimašius.

Determination of Poles
'We fought, are fighting and will fight,' confirmed Polish parents. They are determined to fight for the future of their children. On 9th September Poles took part in the picketing by the Ministry of Justice. They wanted to attract the attention of the Minister of Justice Juozas Bernatonis to possibly illegal and biased decisions of the judges of the Lithuanian Supreme Administrative Court.

Polish parents doubt the impartiality of the judge of the Lithuanian Supreme Administrative Court Irmantas Jarukaitis, President of the College of Judges, which adopted a judgement unfavourable for the Polish Simono Konarskio Secondary School and see the relationship of the judge with Šimašius.

More and more people supporting the postulates of Poles
On 11th September the German national minority in Poland expressed its solidarity and support for the Polish national minority in Lithuania.
'We are deeply concerned about the situation of Polish minority's education in the Republic of Lithuania, and express our solidarity and support for the Polish minority in Lithuania, which is forced to undertake such drastic measures as strike action to defend their rights,' said the statement, which was issued by the Board of the Union of German Social and Cultural Associations in Poland.

Protests by municipality and court
'Mayor Šimašius, why are you expelling teachers?' , 'Equal rights for everyone' , 'What have we done to you, Šimašius?' , 'Mayor, do not imply Bolshevik methods' – this is what the posters of teachers from Polish capital schools were saying during the picketing by the municipality of Vilnius city on 15th September.
People taking part in the picketing expresses their objection to the reorganization of schools discriminating national minorities as well as to the lack of legal regulation of the situation of students in grades 11 and 12 and teachers of the Polish Simono Konarskio Secondary School endangered with degradation to the status of a basic school.
Another picketing was organized by the building of the Lithuanian Supreme Administrative Court by Polish parents on 2nd October. Parents picketed against biased, as they say, decision of the Lithuanian Supreme Administrative Court on the Polish Simono Konarskio Secondary School in Vilnius.

Polish postulates on the largest since years protest action
A protest rally, officially supported by the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania, took place by the Lithuanian Government on 16th October. The event was attended by more than 4000 people. People wanted to express their opposition to unjust social and educational policy in Lithuania. The protest rally was organized by the representatives of working groups, trade unions, educational, cultural, and social employees, parents of the schools of national minorities and Lithuanian too.

Member of the Seimas, Chairman of the Association of Polish Schools Teachers in Lithuania 'Macierz Szkolna' (Polish Educational Society) Juzef Kvetkovskij raised the topic of education of national minorities during the rally and stressed, that national identity is one of the most important values which should be preserved by our children. And this can be guaranteed only by a school with the native language of instruction. 'Therefore we demand that schools of national minorities receive the status of national minority schools, that the native language would obtain a proper status, that state examination of the native language would be introduced and that history of Home country would be taught at schools,' stated Kvetkovskij.

There was also a petition handed to the Prime Minister of Lithuania. The petition included the requests to ensure equity in education.

Court deaf to the arguments of Poles
Vilnius Regional Administrative Court announced the verdict regarding the future of the Polish Simono Konarskio Secondary School in Vilnius on 20th October. Judges did not take into account arguments and requests of the school and its community to preserve the status of a secondary school by their school and not degrade it to the status of a basic school.
The joy in an atmosphere of sadness
But there are some joyful moments to mention. One of them was the 21st edition of the 'Best school - best teacher' contest organized by the Association of Polish Schools Teachers in Lithuania 'Macierz Szkolna' (Polish Educational Society).
Just like the chairman of 'Macierz Szkolna' said, the ceremony was joyful, but also a bit sad on the other hand. Sad - because the authorities of our country 'do not always properly respond to Polish schools in Lithuania'. Joyful - because despite all these difficulties, administration and teachers of Polish schools in Vilnius and Vilnius Region 'work very hard and results are indeed great'.

'This year 71,1 percent of students entered higher studies, which is 1 percent more than last year. One-third of the graduates received financial support from the government. It is really a great result,' Kvetkovskij could not hide his satisfaction.
The best Polish schools in Lithuania in this year's ranking were: J. I. Kraševskio Gymnasium (category of Vilnius city schools), K. Parčevskio Gymansium (category of cities' districts schools), J. Obrembskio Gymnasium in Maišiagala (category of Vilnius district schools), and M. Balinskio Gymansium in Jašiūnai (category of Šalčininkai district schools).
14 schools received distinction during the award ceremony. Over 5 institutions were awarded for activities in contests and olympiads. 77 teachers were distinguished – these were the teachers of Polish, Lithuanian, English, German, Russian, History, Geography, Math, Biology and Chemistry, Informatics, Physics and primary classes.

What's next?
Rallies, protest, petitions, appeals – thanks to all these actions of Poles and their determination 6 secondary schools were already saved this year in the Vilnius region. But problems still exist in Vilnius and this is due to unfavourable to Polish schools decisions of the capital authorities.

The history of Polish education in Lithuania, not easy experiences in the past make it reasonable to think that Polish education will not have an easy way to go. The Polish school has been always facing various dangers. Everything indicated to the fact that this trend will not change and Polish educational community in Lithuania will be tested more than once in the future.

The fight makes sense when one realizes that this for what the battle is continued, has fundamental and essential meaning. Polish schools in Lithuania are one of the main conditions of the survival of Polishness in Lithuania. The ones attacking Polish education know this well. But fighting Poles know this too. This knowledge, innate steadfastness and faith in victory are the lifeblood of the Polish community.

"This project is co-financed from the funds granted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland."