Appeal to the Latvia-Russia Intergovernmental Commission

I st Conference of Parents of Latvia "To Study in the Native Language"

Riga, November 25, 2000

Address to Latvia - Russia Intergovernmental Committee

When the tuition in the Russian language at the higher education institutions of Latvia was ceased, professional training of the qualified teachers teaching main general subjects at schools with the tuition in the Russian language has decreased very much or stopped, conditions for the reproduction of cultural identity of Russian linguistic minority and the reproduction of intellectuals has get worse.

The Conference invites Latvia-Russia Intergovernmental Committee to co-operate in:

1. Signing the international agreement on co-operation in the field of education;
2. Establishing the local departments of the state universities of Moscow, St.Petersburg in Riga;
3. Professional training of teachers, who are residents of the Republic of Latvia, at the higher education institutions of Russian Federation for their further employment at Latvian schools with the Russian language of tuition (schools providing educational programmes for national minorities) with granted recognition of Russia's diploma on acquired higher education in pedagogy in Latvia;
4. Allocation of partly funding from Russia for teaching the Russian language, literature and history at schools providing education programmes in Russian;
5. Application of study books and methodological materials published and developed in Russia at Latvian schools.