It was already 21st edition of the 'Best school - best teacher' contest organized by the Association of Polish Schools Teachers in Lithuania 'Macierz Szkolna' (Polish Educational Society).

Four winners
Chairman of the Association of Polish Schools Teachers in Lithuania 'Macierz Szkolna' Juzef Kvetkovskij welcomed teachers of Polish schools in the Vilnius Region who were present at the ceremony.
He marked that this year the judging rules have been changed - the results of all state examination passed by students were taken into account. Kvetkovskij noted that more subjects should let us see a better picture of schools.
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).
In comparison with last year's contest, 2 schools retained their place on the podium: K. Parčevskio Gymansium in Nemenčinė (category of cities' districts schools),) and M. Balinskio Gymnasium 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 awarded
Choosing winners among schools is based on many criteria, such as number of graduates taking state examinations, number of taken exams, results of exams and more. Results from optional exam from the Polish language are also taken into account.
Meanwhile, the evaluation of teachers is based on the results of exams taken by their students.
Educators are the largest group of awarded people. Teachers of Polish, Lithuanian, English, German, Russian, History, Geography, Math, Biology and Chemistry, Informatics, Physics and primary classes were distinguished. 77 people in total.

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. Third of the graduates received financial support from the government. It is really a great result,' Kvetkovskij could not hide his satisfaction.

Time for challenges
The ceremony gathered delegations of Polish schools in Vilnius and Vilnius Region, special guests, municipality and social organizations' representatives. There were lots of cordial wishes and congratulations, prizes, collective posing for pictures.
Best teachers and directors were as well congratulated by the chairman of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (EAPL), member of the European Parliament Valdemar Tomaševski. 'I would like to thank you for everything that you do for the sake of Polish education which is a certain phenomenon,' said the leader of EAPL. He explained that in Polish schools in Lithuania students receive more than just education - they also receive Polish traditions and Christian values. 'That is why we must face our challenges and maintain, or even strengthen, Polish education,' said Tomaševski.
Tomaševski mentioned that the year 2015 was not the easiest one for the Polish education which is struggling with some difficulties, but communities are 'fully determined to defend their education'. He noted that thanks to administration, teachers and parents, seven schools, which were applying for accreditation, received the status of a gymnasium. These were the schools in the Šalčininkai district, in Dieveniškės, in Baltoji Vokė, in the Vilnius district, in Medininkai and Zujūnai, in the Trakai district, in Palūknys and Trakai.

"For now we did not manage to win battles of accreditations of 4 another schools (Polish and other national minorities schools). V. Sirokomlės secondary school and school in Antakalnis will receive an accreditation for sure. It is only a matter of time. However, we cannot give up and we still must fight for the accreditation and gymnasium status of school in Lazdynai and S. Konarskio secondary school,' emphasized the EAPL leader.

Declares further help
Polish Ambassador in Lithuania Jarosław Czubiński passed on a letter with congratulations for the winners. The congratulations were passed on by Łukasz Kaźmierczak, II secretary of Consulate section of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Lithuania.
'We highly value your dedication and work results, which are very important for young Poles learning in Polish schools and also for Polish community, its continuity and future. I thank you for that and declare my further help. I would like to wish you a lot of contentment from your achievements, gratitude of your pupils and good luck. Special congratulations for this year's winners. And a lot of success next year for all the rest,' wished the Ambassador of Poland.
Czubiński marked in his letter that Poland notices the uniqueness of Polish education in Lithuania and is grateful for created opportunities for Lithuanian government. However it hurts us that we constantly need to ask for this unique solutions and that there are attempts to liquidate or even cases of liquidation of Polish education in this country. Therefore, on one hand Lithuanians brag about their educational, but on the other they try to liquidate it,' noticed Polish Ambassador in Vilnius. He added that Poland feels like having a duty to support Polish community outside Poland borders and especially in parts where people try to maintain national identity, native language and culture.
'Best school - best teacher' contest, that has been organized by the Association of Polish Schools Teachers in Lithuania 'Macierz Szkolna' for 21 years is one the biggest and most important event of Polish teachers in Lithuania. One of its most important duties is to form a positive attitude towards Polish schools in Lithuania and also to maintain high level of education.

Kvetkovskij invited all the gathered community to attend the 25th anniversary of the Association of Polish Schools Teachers in Lithuania 'Macierz Szkolna' which will take place in December this year.

The results of this year's contest 'Best school - best teacher' are presented below.

SCHOOLS WINNERS LAUREATS
1. Vilnius J. I. Kraševskio Gymnasium
2. Vilnius district Nemenčinė K. Parčevskio Gymnasium
3. Vilnius district Maišiagala J. Obrembskio Gymnasium
4. Šalčininkai district Jašiūnai M. Balinskio Gymnasium

Distinguished schools
Vilnius city schools:
1. Vilnius Šv. Jono Pauliaus II Gymnasium
2. Vilnius Adomo Mickevičiaus Gymnasium
3. Vilnius Simono Konarskio Secondary School

Cities' districts schools:
1. Lentvaris Henriko Senkevičiaus Gymnasium
2. Šalčininkai Jano Sniadeckio Gymnasium

Districts schools:
1. Mickūnai Gymnasium
2. Nemėžis St. Rapolas Kalinauskas Gymnasium
3. Pagiriai Gymnasium
4. Baltoji Vokė Elizos Ožeskovos Gymnasium
5. Butrimoniai Anos Krepštul Gymnasium

Primary schools:
1. Vilnius Šv. Jono Pauliaus II Progymnasium
2. Pavilnys Primary School
3. Šumskas (Vilnius district) Primary School
4. Šalčininkėliai (Šalčininkai district) Primary School

Schools distinguished for activities in contests and olympiads conducted by 'Macierz Szkolna' and for receiving podium places in contests at home and abroad:
1. Vilnius Simono Konarskio Secondary School
2. Šalčininkai Jano Sniadeckio Gymnasium
3. Nemėžis St. Rapolo Kalinausko Gymnasium
4. Vilnius Šv. Jono Pauliaus II Progymnasium
5. Mostiškės Primary School

DISTINGUESHED TEACHERS
Polish scholars:
1. Beata Polakovska - Nemėžis St. Rapolo Kalinausko Gymnasium
2. Natalija Jankovska - Vilnius district Maišiagala J. Obrembskio Gymnasium
3. Beata Bagdevičienė - Trakai Gymnasium
4. Janina Kurylo - Šalčininkai district Jašiūnai Mykolo Balinskio Gymnasium
5. Vaclava Ivanovska - Eišiškės Gymnasium
6. Stanislava Veliseičik - Vilnius Adomo Mickevičiaus Gymnasium
7. Barbara Dainovič - Vilnius Vladislovo Sirokomlės Secondary School
8. Joana Ščiglovska - Vilnius J.I. Kraševskio Gymnasium
9. Aleksandra Bojarin - Baltoji Vokė Elizos Ožeskovos Gymnasium

Lithuanian scholars:
1. Vilma Tamošaitienė - Vilnius Šv. Jono Pauliaus II Gymnasium
2. Henrika Mikalajūnienė - Vilnius Adomo Mickevičiaus Gymnasium
3. Irena Kropienė - Šalčininkai district Jašiūnai Mykolo Balinskio Gymnasium
4. Ana Mackel - Nemėžis St. Rapolo Kalinausko Gymnasium
5. Virginija Barkauskienė - Rudamina Ferdinando Ruščico Gymnasium
6. Audronė Balčiūnaitė-Markova - Vilnius district Nemenčinė Konstanto Parčevskio Gymnasium
7. Jurgita Tarasevičienė -Turgeliai P. K. Bžostovskio Gymnasium
8. Aušra Girdziušienė - Lentvaris Henriko Senkevičiaus Gymnasium

Math teachers:
1. Krystyna Čuprynska - Vilnius Šv. Jono Pauliaus II Gymnasium
2. Veslava Doveiko - Vilnius J.I. Kraševskio Gymnasium
3. Janina Kostecka - Vilnius Simono Konarskio Secondary School
4. Irena Sviglinska - Šalčininkai Jano Sniadeckio Gymnasium
5. Vanda Talmont - Eišiškės Gymnasium
6. Danuta Aluk - Vilnius district Maišiagala Juzefo Obrembskio Gymnasium
7. Vanda Račinska - Šalčininkai district Jašiūnai Mykolo Balinskio Gymnasium

History teachers:
1. Danuta Radevič - Vilnius Šv. Jono Pauliaus II Gymnasium
2. Beata Kovalevska - Vilnius Simono Konarskio Secondary School 3. Marija Stančik - Eišiškės Gymnasium
4. Valerija Adomaitis - Vilnius district Maišiagala Juzefo Obrembskio Gymnasium
5. Alina Narkevič - Lentvaris Henriko Senkevičiaus Gymnasium
6. Laima Narodovskaja - Baltoji Vokė Elizos Ožeskovos Gymnasium

Foreign language teachers:

I. ENGLISH:
1. Nina Senkevič - Vilnius Šv. Jono Pauliaus II Gymnasium
2. Regina Bogdanovič - Vilnius Joachimo Lelevelio Secondary School
3. Tatjana Kalašnik - Vilnius Adomo Mickevičiaus Gymnasium
4. Joana Markovska - Vilnius Simono Konarskio Secondary School
5. Jolanta Antanavičienė - Šalčininkai district Jašiūnai Mykolo Balinskio Gymnasium
6. Vladimir Dubrovskij - Šalčininkai Jano Sniadeckio Gymnasium
7. Lina Labžientienė - Pagiriai Gymnasium
8. Natalija Tiurnina - Mickūnai Gymnasium
9. Dorota Sveikauskienė - Pabradė Žeimena Gymnasium
10. Joana Vaiciulionis - Lentvaris Henriko Senkevičiaus Gymnasium
11. Olga Novicka - Vilnius J.I. Kraševskio Gymnasium

II. GERMAN:
1. Romualda Kolosovskaja - Vilnius district Kalveliai S. Moniuškos Gymnasium
2. Veronika Grakalskienė - Buivydiškės Gymnasium

III RUSSIAN:
1. Helena Kulik - Vilnius Vladislovo Sirokomlės Secondary School
2. Genoefa Paškevič - Vilnius J.K. Kraševskio Gymnasium
3. Božena Nadzeras - Vilnius Adomo Mickevičiaus Gymnasium
4. Danuta Banevič - Vilnius district Nemenčinė Konstanto Parčevskio Gymnasium
5. Danuta Jermalovič - Baltoji Vokė Elizos Ožeskovos Gymnasium
6. Irena Aniukštienė - Nemėžis St. Rapolo Kalinausko Gymnasium
7. Irena Grinevič - Vilnius district Maišiagala Juzefo Obrembskio Gymnasium
8. Ala Lebedeva - Mickūnai Gymnasium
9. Tatjana Žilinskienė - Pagiriai Gymnasium
10. Lilija Ukrainec - Rudamina Ferdinando Ruščico Gymnasium

Biology and Chemistry teachers:
1. Violeta Juchnevič - Šalčininkai Jano Sniadeckio Gymnasium
2. Aleksandra Sinkevič - Butrimoniai Anos Krepštul Gymnasium
3. Eleonora Makovska - Mickūnai Gymnasium
4. Ala Belevič - Nemėžis St. Rapolo Kalinausko Gymnasium
5. Jolanta Šalkovska - Vilnius J.I. Kraševskio Gymnasium
6. Regina Komar - Vilnius district Nemenčinė Konstanto Parčevskio Gymnasium
7. Teresa Samsonov - Vilnius Adomo Mickevičiaus Gymnasium

Physics teachers:
1. Pavel Stankevič - Vilnius J.I. Kraševskio Gymnasium
2. Henryk Sinkevič - Vilnius Vladislovo Sirokomlės Secondary School
3. Ana Komarovska - Zujūnai Secondary School

Information technology teacher:
1. Božena Korvin-Piotrovska - Vilnius Šv. Jono Pauliaus II Gymnasium
2. Inga Brasel - Vilnius J.I. Kraševskio Gymnasium
3. Aleksander Žuk - Šalčininkai Jano Sniadeckio Gymnasium
4. Miroslav Paketur - Vilnius district Nemenčinė Konstanto Parčevskio Gymnasium

Geography teachers:
1. Alicija Bobin - Šalčininkai district Jašiūnai Mykolo Balinskio Gymnasium
2. Jelena Šapiro - Vilnius district Nemenčinė Konstanto Parčevskio Gymnasium
3. Teresa Dzeržinska - Vilnius Simono Konarskio Secondary School
4. Ivona Golubovska - Vilnius Vladislovo Sirokomlės Secondary School

Primary school teachers:
1. Elvira Lepilova - Vilnius Šv. Jono Pauliaus II Progymnasium
2. Irena Šuškevič - Vilnius Šv. Jono Pauliaus II Progymnasium
3. Česlava Levanovič - Šalčininkėliai Primary School
4. Leokadia Smyk - Šumskas Primary School
5. Lila Ogint - Riešė St. Faustina Kovalevska Primary School
6. Ana Ulevič - Pavilnys Primary School

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