Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools

Cancelling the Education law provisions, which originally ordered the language of instruction in public secondary schools (Forms 10-12) to be only Latvian (later, at least 60% Latvian) since 2004. It also supports providing effective learning of Latvian language in the Latvian language and literature lessons and specific preparation of teachers for Russian schools.[http://www.shtab.lv/main.php?w2=about Штаб защиты русских школ, официальный сайт]

File:28 09 2003 shkoly LV.jpg organised by the Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools]]

The staff was foundedЗаявление о создании штаба по защите русских школ. Published in: "Ракурс" No. 1/2003 The text of the founding statement is available [https://rusojuz.lv/2003-2004-gg-osnovnye-dokumenty-po-dejatelnosti-shtaba-zashhity-russkih-shkol/ online on the LRU website {{in lang{{!}}ru}}] in April 2003 as a coalition of various organizations, most prominent being ForHRUL, and later expanded, involving nonpartisan people. In 2003–2004, the Staff has organized political demonstrations (according to the Freedom House and political scientist Tatjana Boguševiča, the biggest ones in Latvia since the beginning of the 1990s) to protest to expanding use of Latvian language in Russian schools.[http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?page=search&docid=473c550523 Freedom in the World 2005. Latvia] Freedom HouseBoguševiča T. [http://www.szf.lu.lv/fileadmin/user_upload/szf_faili/Petnieciba/promocijas_darbi/Disertacija_Bogusevica.pdf Mazākumtautību protesta kustību veidošanās: Latvijas krievvalodīgās minoritātes gadījuma analīze] Rīga, LU SZF, 2009 — 95. lpp.{{in lang|lv}} Freedom House has also noted that "Over half of all Russian students took part in protests."[https://www.refworld.org/docid/473aff0cc.html Nations in Transit - Latvia (2005)]

As a result, the Education Law was amended in February 2004, allowing to teach up to 40% in the forms 10-12 in minority languages. The proportion of teaching 60% of subjects in Latvian and 40% in Russian, according to BISS research, was supported by 20% of the teachers, 15% of pupils and 13% of parents in minority schools and most stated that they would rather support bilingual instruction in all subjects; only 15% of teachers thought that no reform was needed, while this opinion was expressed by 36% of parents and 44% of pupils.[http://providus.lv/article_files/1091/original/cittaut.pdf?1326906351 Cittautiešu jauniešu integrācija Latvijas sabiedrībā izglītības reformas kontekstā. B. Zepas redakcijā. Baltijas Sociālo zinātņu institūts, 2004 — 79. lpp.] The parliamentary opposition started two cases before the Constitutional Court of Latvia (abjudicated in May and September, 2005) with most of its demands being refused.

After 2005, the activity of the organization fizzled out, with its followers joining other similar organizations, like the United Congress of Russian Communities ({{Langx|lv|Latvijas Krievu Kopienu apvienotais kongress}}, {{Langx|ru|ОКРОЛ}}) founde in September 2004 and others.

• Russian language in Latvia
• Language policy in Latvia

{{Reflist}}

• English
• D. Wilson [http://www.right-to-education.org/sites/right-to-education.org/files/resource-attachments/Duncan_Minority_Rights_in_Education_2002_en.pdf Minority Rights in Education: Lessons for the EU from Estonia, Latvia (..)], 2002 — p. 36—43
• [https://rusojuz.lv/en/list-of-actions-of-support-of-mother-tongue-education-initiated-by-member-organizations-and-individual-members-of-russian-school-defense-staff/ List of the most considerable protests in 2003-2005]
• [http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/04/14/eu.latvia.language/ Latvians face new wall: language] (CNN, 2004)
• Excerpts from [http://www.cap.lmu.de/download/2004/2004_RFERL_Minority.pdf RFE/RL news on Baltic minorities, January-April 2004]
• [http://www.latvians.com/en/Mailer/envelope.php?2004_09_03.htm#news26 Teachers in crossfire over Latvia's school reform] (Reuters, 2004)
• [http://www.latvians.com/en/Mailer/envelope.php?2004_09_03.htm#news27 Thousands of Russian speakers protest new school language rules] (AP, 2004)
• [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3677383.stm Protests mark Latvia's EU entry], 2004, and [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4380437.stm Latvian lessons irk Russians], 2005. BBC
• [http://www.satv.tiesa.gov.lv/wp-content/uploads/2004/08/2004-18-0106_Spriedums_ENG.pdf Judgement of Latvia's Constitutional Court regarding the Education Law provisions on medium of instruction], 2005
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120405182359/http://bhhrg.org/latvia/131-latvian-minorities-the-educational-reform.html Latvian minorities: The educational reform]}} British Helsinki Human Rights Group, 2005
• [http://www.tabajdi.hu/index.php?pg=menu_73 Discussion in the European Parliament], 2005
• Russian and Latvian
• [http://www.shtab.lv Staff site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060617142511/http://www.shtab.lv/ |date=2006-06-17 }} {{in lang|ru}}
• Staff video clip [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH7rLXCiUjk «Black Karlis»] (referring to then-minister for education Kārlis Šadurskis) {{in lang|ru}}
• Basic excerpts from Staff documents, international treaties and links: [https://rusojuz.lv/2003-2004-gg-osnovnye-dokumenty-po-dejatelnosti-shtaba-zashhity-russkih-shkol/ {{in lang{{!}}ru}}], [https://rusojuz.lv/lv/krievu-skolu-aizstavibas-staba-darbibas-pamatdokumenti/ {{in lang{{!}}lv}}]
• [http://www.likumi.lv/doc.php?id=50759&version_date=27.02.2004 Education law] — edition being in force between 27.02.2004. and 15.09.2005.{{in lang|lv}}
• Chronicle of Staff actions: [https://rusojuz.lv/2003-2004-gg-hronika-akcij-v-zashhitu-obrazovanija-na-rodnom-jazyke-provedennyh-po-iniciative-organizacij-i-lic-vhodjashhih-v-shtab-zashhity-russkih-shkol-chast-1/ 2003-2004], [https://rusojuz.lv/2003-2004-gg-hronika-akcij-v-zashhitu-obrazovanija-na-rodnom-jazyke-provedennyh-po-iniciative-organizacij-i-lic-vhodjashhih-v-shtab-zashhity-russkih-shkol-chast-2/ 2004-2005]{{in lang|ru}}

Category:Education policy

Category:Education in Latvia

Category:Linguistic rights

Category:Nonviolent resistance movements

Category:Minority rights

Category:Minority schools

Category:Politics of Latvia

Category:Russian-language education

Category:Russians in Latvia

Category:Human rights organisations based in Latvia