The Right to be Taught in a Minority Language
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Abstract
The aim of this article, firstly, is to analyse the scope of the right to be taught in a minority language under the regulation of international law and, secondly, to discuss the interaction between international and national laws, to evaluate Lithuanian national legislation concerning the establishment and enjoyment of this right.
No legal documents of global application ensure the right to be taught in a minority language. Despite this fact, the legal documents of global application establish the right to education (Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 5 of the Convention against Discrimination in Education, Article 5 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child). The right to education forms the background of the right to be taught in a minority language as a progressively realized right.
The European regional human rights system, apart from establishing the general basis of the right to be taught in a minority language (Article 2 of Protocol 1 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms), directly ensures the right to be taught in a minority language (Article 14 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities). It is worth emphasizing that the enjoyment of the right to be taught in a minority language depends on certain conditions: 1) the state’s area traditionally or substantially inhabited by persons belonging to national minorities; 2) a sufficient demand of teaching in a minority language. Neither of these conditions are defined in the Convention. The Advisory Committee also does not define the above-mentioned terms: the Committee evaluates the practise of the particular state and individually qualifies whether the particular state’s practise conforms to the Convention provisions. The enjoyment of the right to be taught in a minority language should not become a tool promoting disjuncture of national minorities. Following the above-mentioned notions, the national legislation of the Republic of Lithuania is analysed in this article.
No legal documents of global application ensure the right to be taught in a minority language. Despite this fact, the legal documents of global application establish the right to education (Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 5 of the Convention against Discrimination in Education, Article 5 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child). The right to education forms the background of the right to be taught in a minority language as a progressively realized right.
The European regional human rights system, apart from establishing the general basis of the right to be taught in a minority language (Article 2 of Protocol 1 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms), directly ensures the right to be taught in a minority language (Article 14 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities). It is worth emphasizing that the enjoyment of the right to be taught in a minority language depends on certain conditions: 1) the state’s area traditionally or substantially inhabited by persons belonging to national minorities; 2) a sufficient demand of teaching in a minority language. Neither of these conditions are defined in the Convention. The Advisory Committee also does not define the above-mentioned terms: the Committee evaluates the practise of the particular state and individually qualifies whether the particular state’s practise conforms to the Convention provisions. The enjoyment of the right to be taught in a minority language should not become a tool promoting disjuncture of national minorities. Following the above-mentioned notions, the national legislation of the Republic of Lithuania is analysed in this article.
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Authors retain copyright of their work, with first publication rights granted to the Association for Learning Technology.
Authors retain copyright of their work, with first publication rights granted to the Association for Learning Technology.
