ELL: Belorussian

[Henry Szymonik]

[From RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
          RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 4, No. 126, Part II, 29 June 2000]

 NGO NOTES 'DISASTROUS' SITUATION OF BELARUSIAN-LANGUAGE
 EDUCATION. The Belarusian School Association has sent a
 letter to Education Minister Vasil Strazhau deploring the
 situation of Belarusian-language education, Belapan reported
 on 27 June. The association argues that the "disastrously
 low" percentage of schoolchildren in Belarusian-language
 classes is attributable to the lack of Belarusian-language
 colleges and universities where they could continue their
 education in Belarusian. He also pointed to "the open
 hostility of officials at different levels toward the
 Belarusian language." The association says it can cite many
 examples where Belarusian-language schools have been ordered
 to offer instruction only in Russian. The organization
 proposes that the government establish a Belarusian National
 University and open Belarusian-language groups at other
 institutions of higher education. A 1990 law obliged the
 government to "Belarusianize" public life in the country by
 2000, but President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has ignored that
 bill and strengthened the Russification of Belarus. JM


----
Endangered-Languages-L Forum: endangered-languages-l at carmen.murdoch.edu.au
Web pages http://carmen.murdoch.edu.au/lists/endangered-languages-l/
Subscribe/unsubscribe and other commands: majordomo at carmen.murdoch.edu.au
----