Uczniowie szkół polskich na Litwie - wolni, aczkolwiek zniewalani

ENPolish education in Lithuania is a permanent component of the republic’s educational system. Since the Republic of Lithuania gained independence, it has been constantly struggling for its survival. The students of Polish nationality are faced, from the very first grade, with a state policy aimed at weakening the position of their mother tongue, the whole process of teaching, and Polish education. The educational reforms, which are destroying the education of national minorities, intensify psychological tensions and frustrations of the students, young people, citizens of the state, who, in a few years, will constitute the basic potential of human capital. The degradation of the status of the mother tongue will create a gap in the developing identity of children, turning into an embarrassing scar with time. The harmful narrative of state policy towards the education of minorities is fuelled by the ultra-nationalist forces that can lead Lithuania into the future. It is a matter of cohesion of civil society. Polish schools in Lithuania not only offer a high level of education, but also have a very deep tradition – 100 percent of children attend religious lessons and for more than 20 years the same percentage has chosen to take the Polish language exam despite the fact that it was removed from the list of obligatory exams. An increasing percentage of graduates from Polish schools enter higher education institutions in Lithuania and abroad. Today’s Polish education in Lithuania is an example of civic engagement and joint work of teachers, parents, social organizations, authorities (of Polish nationality), and the students themselves. Keywords: Lithuania, Polish education, enslaving reforms. [From the publication]

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