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The Latvian Parliament members have approved changes to the legislation banning education in the Russian language in private universities and colleges. The project has successfully passed the final reading, RIA Novosti informs.
After the President of Latvia puts his signature under the document, Russian children in the Republic will be deprived of a right to get secondary and higher education even in private universities, in their native language.
Starting next year, the Russian-language educational programs will be stopped. Nevertheless, people already studying will have a chance to get a diploma. Approximately a third part of all students in private universities studies in the Russian language.
According to representatives of the Ministry of Education, the changes are needed, as earlier a law was approved banning the educational programs in Russian language in Latvia. All the national minorities are to study in the state language only.
According to Aldis Baumanis who is heading the Latvian Association of Private Universities, such changes would lead to
decrease of foreign students in Latvia, which would entail fall of investment flows. He called this decision premature. Baumanis is sure that it was made in order to reach somebody’s political goals right before the elections.
Russian Foreign Ministry has turned attention of the international organizations, such as the UN, EC, OSCE and Council of Europe to discriminating languages’ politics of the Latvian authorities.
Russkiy Mir
