Belarus not to reopen Lithuanian minority school – Lithuanian official

September 20, BPN. Belarusian authorities do not intend to reopen the Lithuanian-funded school in Pialesa, located in the Hrodna region’s Voranava district, Delfi reported, citing Ramūnas Skaudžius, Lithuania’s deputy minister of education.

Belarusian fire safety inspectors ordered the school’s closure in August over alleged breaches. Additional fire safety measures would require changes to the structure of the building.

The school principal appealed to court, but he was told that no matter how the lawsuit ended, no permission to resume instruction would be given, Skaudžius said. He added that Lithuania’s foreign ministry was discussing efforts to recover the school property.

Rusłan Abramčyk, the Hrodna region’s education chief, said earlier this year that the new Education Code requires all schools in Belarus to provide instruction in the official languages (Russian and Belarusian) from September 2022.

The Lithuanian foreign ministry criticized the decision as a violation of bilateral agreements between Lithuania and Belarus.

Funded by the Lithuanian government, the Pialesa school has provided instruction in Lithuanian since 1992.