No Belarusian Schools in Hrodna

Yuliya Darashkevich

“None of the 38 Hrodna schools are Belarusian-language. “What the Russian bayonet hasn’t done, Russian school will”, -- used to say in the 19th century the Russian official, governor-general, Muravyov the hanger. Our officials also abide by this principle.” Unknown activists posted such fly-sheets on the first days of the new curriculum year near the State bodies of Hrodna. The fly-sheets also contain the photo, in which two schoolboys read the shield “No places for Belarusians!” at the entrance of their school.

In Hrodna Kastrychnitski and Leninski Borough Educational Departments the correspondent of Hrodna News found out that Hrodna hasn’t had nay completely Belarusian-language schools for several years already. Before that, schools No. 5, 26 and 32 were completely Belarusian-language, but after the referendum of 1995, when the Russian language received the Status of the second State language, these schools introduced forms with the Russian language of teaching.

Last year in the Kastrychnitski borough of Hrodna Belarusian forms existed in schools No. 3, 5, 6, 26 and 34. 481 children were educated there in mother tongue, most of them belonged to the senior forms. 390 children attended coteries of Belarusian language at kindergartens of the borough.

Hanna Kalesnik, worker of the education department, said that the parents were informed that they could educate their children in Belarusian, but with every upcoming year fewer people choose it.

The specialists of the education department think that the reason is that the school-leavers don’t have any possibility to continue their education in Belarusian language at any higher educational establishment.