{"id":173405,"date":"2026-01-28T22:45:46","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T19:45:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/173405\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"belarusian-school-in-vilnius-expected-to-continue-instruction-in-belarusian","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/173405\/","title":{"rendered":"Belarusian school in Vilnius expected to continue instruction in Belarusian"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (Association of Belarusian Parents in Lithuania)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

January 28, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> The Vilnius City Council is expected to allow the Franci\u0161ak Skaryna Gymnasium to continue providing instruction in Belarusian, despite a January 28 decision requiring the children of foreigners\u2014except those from European Union countries\u2014to enroll in schools with instruction in Lithuanian, opposition politician Franak Via\u010dorka told journalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The council adopted a procedural decision, announced by Vytautas Vaitiekunas, chairman of the education committee, under which the gymnasium may enroll new students in the 2026\u201327 academic year if it has available places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The council is expected to pass separate legislation to formalize this arrangement, Via\u010dorka said, citing public statements by city officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vilnius authorities made concessions to the Belarusian community following a January 26 meeting with Dzianis Ku\u010dynski, a diplomatic aide to opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By that time, Belarusians had already begun collecting signatures for an appeal to the Vilnius City Council opposing the possible closure of the city\u2019s only school offering instruction in Belarusian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The school was founded in 1994 and named after the Belarusian printer Skaryna in 1997. In 2013, it was granted gymnasium status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of January 1, more than 50,000 Belarusians held residence permits in Lithuania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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