Henik Loika's victory
After the protest
action held by architect Henik Loika near Minsk gymnasium #4, the
educational establishment was prescribed to return to the Belarusian
language of instruction.
The matter is that last year the
gymnasium administration introduced changes to its charter without
informing the parents of the pupils. As a result, the only gymnasium
with the Belarusian language of instruction was turned into an
educational establishment with two languages: Russian and Belarusian.
A part of the parents were dissatisfied with this circumstance and
required explanations from the administration of the gymnasium and
higher state organs.
On 21 February, the International Day of
Mother Tongue, well-known sculptor Henik Loika came to the gymnasium
where three his children studied, with the poster "Greetings on
the International Mother Tongue Day! Gymnasium #4 was the last school
with the Belarusian language of instruction". Henik Loika was
quickly detained by police and subsequently sentenced to 5 days of
arrest for "violation of the rules of organizing and holding
mass events".
At the same time, parents of other pupils
started collecting signatures for a review of the language part of
the charter. Having collected several dozens of signatures they
passed them to Frunzenski District Educational Department of Minsk
and asked it to return the Belarusian language to the gymnasium. the
educational department issued an appropriate prescription to the
gymnasium administration and by 15 April the latter is to apply to
the Education Committee of Minsk City Executive Committee with a
petition for the introduction of the necessary amendments to its
charter.
