OSCE COMMISSIONER INVITES LATVIA'S SEIM NOT TO BROADEN LETTISH SHARE IN ETHNIC MINORITIES EDUCATION

RIGA, October 12 (RIA Novosti's Yuri Guralnik) - The OSCE Human Rights commissioner Rolf Ekeus has called upon the Latvian Seim not to increase the share of Lettish in the ethnic minorities education. He was addressing parliamentarians at a meeting on Tuesday, the Seim press service told RIA Novosti.

The quality of education is not to suffer in the reform of Russian schools, he said. He said that Latvia, according to the Hague Convention, should ensure the provision of education also for the ethnic minorities.

Admitting that the education reform in Latvia "is to be held", the OSCE commissioner called upon parliamentarians not to expand the share of the state language in education for the ethnic minorities.

850,000 Russian-speakers live in Latvia. 500,000 of them are non-citizens, having no right to vote at parliamentary and municipal elections. Citizens and non-citizens alike pay equal taxes.

The education reform, coming into force last September 1, intends passing all Russian schools in Latvia to the Lettish language of tuition. Under the new law, 60 percent of all school subjects are to be taught in the state language.