Language solution found in Sweden

VILNIUS - The Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (LLRA), dissatisfied with the education situation for ethnic minorities, urged Lithuania to follow Sweden’s experience in this field, reports ELTA. According to the LLRA, ethnic minorities in Sweden do not have the same state language exam as schoolchildren whose mother tongue is Swedish.

“Lithuanian politicians have often tried to promote the idea that the road to Europe should be paved through the Scandinavian countries, rather than Poland. Sweden is an example of a democracy and a capacity of solving social and ethnic minority problems. Unfortunately, our politicians pretend not to know that five languages of ethnic minorities living in that country are recognized as official languages of those minorities,” the LLRA press service said.

It goes on to say that in order to enhance language protection and preserve the languages’ opportunities of surviving, schoolchildren have a right to study in their mother tongue. “(...) pupils whose mother tongue is other than Swedish have a right to choose Swedish as a second language course. What is more, they are allowed to pass a Swedish as a second language exam, which is adapted to the pupils of ethnic minority schools,” the LLRA says. Poles in Lithuania have repeatedly expressed their dissatisfaction with the new Law on Education passed by the Seimas.