During her working visit to Poland, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the country’s Minister of National Education, Barbara Nowacka. Members of the United Transitional Cabinet also joined the meeting, including the Deputy Head, Pavel Latushka, the Representative for Youth Policy and Students, Marharyta Vorykhava, and the Acting Representative for National Revival, Pavel Barkouski.
The parties discussed:
- Recognition of Belarusian diplomas: Belarusian high school diplomas will be recognized as equivalent to Polish matriculation documents. Requirements for these documents will be standardized to simplify enrollment for Belarusian students in Polish schools and universities.
- Future of the Hajnówka Lyceum: Efforts are ongoing to find an optimal solution to preserve the unique role of this institution for the Belarusian minority in Poland. The Hajnówka Lyceum is a secondary school offering additional instruction in the Belarusian language to preserve and promote Belarusian culture and identity among students.
- Mechanisms to combat bullying: An operational response channel will be established with the participation of Poland’s Ministry of National Education and the United Transitional Cabinet’s Representation for National Revival. Belarusians whose children face such issues can contact the Cabinet’s chatbot or email at revival@belaruscabinet.org. Schools in Poland will soon introduce intercultural communication assistants to help children from diverse national backgrounds adapt to the local education system.
- Support for Belarusian weekend schools: Ms. Nowacka affirmed the importance of developing the network of Belarusian weekend schools. Local authorities will assist Belarusian communities in finding free premises and equipment for these schools. Those who want to open a school can contact the UTC Representation for National Revival and Poland’s Ministry of Education.
Pavel Latushka: “Poland currently has 31,000 Belarusian schoolchildren and kindergarteners. 31,000! This is what the Lukashenka regime has done. And there’s important news – the laws will soon be amended to ensure Belarusian high school diplomas are accepted by Polish higher education institutions”.
Marharyta Vorykhava: “The Polish Ministry of Education recognized the importance of the issues raised and assured us that changes to the nostrification system will be implemented soon. They confirmed their readiness to support Belarusian students and create a welcoming environment, allowing Belarusian youth to access European education and opportunities”.
Pavel Barkouski: “We see the Education Ministry’s unwavering support and understanding of most critical issues for Belarusians. Our communication is dynamic and is taking place at a high level. We agree fundamentally on the importance of supporting the Belarusian language and identity for citizens of Belarus now living in Poland. We are working to reach a consensus and develop practical tools to address our tasks and challenges”.
