Children of families of illegal migrants and Afghan translators admitted to Lithuania start special classes in Lithuania

More than 200 children and adolescents between the ages of six and eighteen, divided into age groups, start training at illegal migrant accommodation in Rukla, Pabradė and Vilnius.

Initially, they will be taught the Lithuanian language, devoting three academic hours a day to it. Later, it is planned to include knowledge of Lithuanian history, geography and civic education in the language acquisition program and to acquaint students with the most important terms of the subjects of the general education school program in Lithuanian.

Classes will take place on weekdays, and volunteers and representatives of non-governmental organizations will meet students on weekends.

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“Lithuania must provide education for all children in its territory, regardless of their legal status. It is provided for in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but education itself is regulated by the legislation of our country, “said Minister of Education Jurgita Šugždiniene.”

At present, 40 teachers have been trained in Lithuania to educate children of illegal migrants, selected and trained for this task by the Vilnius Lithuanian House, which was once established to educate Lithuanian children living abroad in the homeland and also received students from families affected by war in eastern Ukraine.

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More than 40 school-age Afghan children from the families of Afghan interpreters who helped the Lithuanian Armed Forces in Raseiniai and who have been granted political asylum by Lithuania will also start learning Lithuanian from Monday. For this purpose, the district municipal council has allowed the establishment of five special classes in Raseiņi Progymnasium, but it is not yet known whether all children will attend this school, as their parents have the right to move freely from this week.

According to Andrjus Bautronis, the mayor of Raseiniai district, the Afghans, who were initially in the mood to move to Vilnius, later began to consider settling in smaller towns, including Raseiniai.