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A Lithuanian–Polish expert group on education issues agreed late on Monday in Warsaw that the form of the state language exam for all Lithuanian schoolchildren will be unified but the evaluation will differ for Lithuanian and ethnic minority schools.

"The form of the exam will be one – an essay – and the evaluation norms will differ during the transition period. Taking into account different views on the contents of the exam, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania will meet with representatives of Lithuanian schools where the teaching process takes place in Polish to professionally discuss the issue," the statement reads.

The experts also agreed to include representatives of Lithuanian ethnic minorities into the exam evaluation committee of the National Examination Center.

"The evaluation committee would analyze results of annual final exams organized by the National Examination Center for at least 8 years and based on them it would present proposals on the improvement of evaluation norms," the Lithuanian and Polish specialists concluded.

The experts also discussed the education situation of the Polish minority in Lithuania.

The next meeting is scheduled for October 14 in Vilnius.

Lithuanian and Polish Prime Ministers Andrius Kubilius and Donald Tusk agreed to set up the inter-state working group on education during their meeting in the Lithuanian southern town of Druskininkai on September 4.

Polish politicians in Lithuania and Poland have criticized the new Law on Education expanding the use of the state Lithuanian language in ethnic minority schools despite Lithuanians living in Poland saying that even after the adoption of the law Poles in Lithuania will have better education conditions then they have in Poland.

EXPERT WORK ON ETHNIC MINORITY EDUCATION SERVED PURPOSE – LITHUANIAN PM

Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius said on Tuesday common work of Lithuanian and Polish experts in evaluating the ethnic minority education situation in Lithuania has served the purpose, and achieved results will prevent various speculations.

A Lithuanian–Polish expert group on education issues agreed late on Monday in Warsaw that the form of the state language exam for all Lithuanian schoolchildren will be unified but the evaluation will differ for Lithuanian and ethnic minority schools, according to the concluding statement, the copy of which was received by BNS, following the second meeting of education experts and ethnic minority representatives. Polish politicians in Lithuania have so far demanded cancelling the decision to unify Lithuanian language exams for Lithuanian and ethnic minority schools.

"The final exam in the Lithuanian language will be introduced in Polish schools in a more flexible way, and schoolchildren should not be concerned. The examination form will be an essay, and the evaluation norms during the transition period might be slightly different taking into account the preparedness level of schoolchildren," Kubilius said in an interview to the Lithuanian Radio on Tuesday.

"It's very important that we managed to agree on that on the expert level. I think that the Polish government will have opportunities to objectively evaluate our clear position. I believe such a way of cooperation will be chosen while discussing other problems. There will be far less space for some rallies, intimidation. Such an effective constructive dialogue is what we have always wanted," the Lithuanian prime minister said.

Members of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania have criticized the new Law on Education expanding the use of the Lithuanian language in ethnic minority schools and unification of final examination in the state Lithuanian language as of 2013. So far almost all subjects in Polish schools have been taught in Polish, and Polish school-leavers have taken a facilitated exam in Lithuania.

Lithuanian politicians have stressed the new regulations comply with the European standards and mirror the situation in Poland.

Some politicians in Warsaw have also expressed support to the Polish ethnic minority in Lithuania. Some Lithuanian politicians related it with the upcoming general election in Poland. 

(Baltic News Service)