Languages of instruction in comprehensive schools of Southeastern Lithuania in 1945-1999

In Southeastern Lithuania, where Polish is the predominating nationality of the local population, three languages of instruction - Lithuanian, Russian and Polish - are used in comprehensive schools of the region. The proportion of the languages underwent several changes during the last five decades due to political transformations of the country. There were several changes of the languages of instruction during the Soviet period. Finally, as a result of that process, comprehensive schools with several languages of instruction came to life, yet Russian was the main language of such schools. Only at the beginning of Resurrection (from 1987), essentially by the efforts of local administration, Polish classes were established almost in every school where they had not existed earlier. The process of establishment of Lithuanian classes started later, actually in 1992, when the administration officials of Vilnius and Šalčininkai municipalities were substituted. But a real boom of Lithuanian classes was around 1996, when the establishment of Lithuanian classes in the region was delegated to Vilnius County authorities. Nevertheless, the Lithuanian classes do not exist in 33 settlements where Polish or Russian classes are established.The number of pupils in Polish classes started increasing at the very beginning of Resurrection, while in Lithuanian classes it started growing only after the statehood of Lithuania had been reestablished. The recent years evidenced a rapid growth of 1st forms in Lithuanian schools. Sociologic survey confirms the tendency to proceed in the near future. To begin with 1994, when Russian classes started rapidly decreasing and the Lithuanian ones increasing, the number of first formers in Polish classes started decreasing, too. The development of Lithuanian schools of the region is disturbed by the poor economical situation and the legal state of education (education is included in the regulation sphere of municipalities). Lithuanian schools badly need premises, teaching facilities, teachers, living compartments for teachers. All this requires additional financing. Polish municipalities of Vilnius and Šalčininkai regions, having operational matters of education in their responsibility, with activists of Poles electoral action to aid them, are focusing their activities on disturbing the development of Lithuanian schools in Southeastern Lithuania