Comments on: Shtab Saves Face http://allaboutlatvia.com/article/12/shtab-saves-face/ Serpentine Percipience Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:22:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: giustino http://allaboutlatvia.com/article/12/shtab-saves-face/comment-page-1/#comment-759 giustino Thu, 27 Apr 2006 01:36:56 +0000 http://allaboutlatvia.com/?p=12#comment-759 <p>There’s way more to this stuff than meets the eye.</p> <p>For a country like Latvia, I can only guess that living for 5,000 years on one place makes that place not only home, but sacred.</p> <p>Latvian society exists. It has existed through servitude and through colonization and it still exists.</p> <p>The Latvian state was set up to protect the interests of the pre-existing Latvian society.</p> <p>The language law is their naive way of opening the door to all that have moved to Latvia since 1945 and saying that they too are welcome to join Latvian society. In order to participate, you should speak the majority tongue.</p> <p>That’s the position. You can disagree. I’m sure many who’ve taken the time to learn the majority language wonder why they have to pay for less ambitious people who haven’t taken the time out to do so.</p> <p>Shouldn’t it be up to the individual to sink or swim in society? Is it really the state’s job to make everyone proficient if some don’t want to be?</p> <p>I’m not sure. When I went to public school there were certain courses I had to take, NO MATTER WHAT. Sequential Math II? I hated it, but Governor Mario Cuomo made sure I knew enough to pass my regents examination :) </p> <p>It’s all up to what you consider to be “education.” </p> There’s way more to this stuff than meets the eye.

For a country like Latvia, I can only guess that living for 5,000 years on one place makes that place not only home, but sacred.

Latvian society exists. It has existed through servitude and through colonization and it still exists.

The Latvian state was set up to protect the interests of the pre-existing Latvian society.

The language law is their naive way of opening the door to all that have moved to Latvia since 1945 and saying that they too are welcome to join Latvian society. In order to participate, you should speak the majority tongue.

That’s the position. You can disagree. I’m sure many who’ve taken the time to learn the majority language wonder why they have to pay for less ambitious people who haven’t taken the time out to do so.

Shouldn’t it be up to the individual to sink or swim in society? Is it really the state’s job to make everyone proficient if some don’t want to be?

I’m not sure. When I went to public school there were certain courses I had to take, NO MATTER WHAT. Sequential Math II? I hated it, but Governor Mario Cuomo made sure I knew enough to pass my regents examination :)

It’s all up to what you consider to be “education.”

]]> By: gloria http://allaboutlatvia.com/article/12/shtab-saves-face/comment-page-1/#comment-757 gloria Wed, 26 Apr 2006 17:27:47 +0000 http://allaboutlatvia.com/?p=12#comment-757 <p>The problem is this: these students have been going through school, TAUGHT IN RUSSIAN, for all their time in school… and now suddenly they have the take their exams in Latvian? Disgusting.</p> The problem is this: these students have been going through school, TAUGHT IN RUSSIAN, for all their time in school… and now suddenly they have the take their exams in Latvian? Disgusting.

]]> By: Aleks http://allaboutlatvia.com/article/12/shtab-saves-face/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Aleks Wed, 08 Sep 2004 00:41:04 +0000 http://allaboutlatvia.com/?p=12#comment-6 The fact that children need to become more educated in the language of the country where they live seems to be irrelevant to the education reform per se. The reform does not increase the number of Latvian language classes taught in the minority schools, but rather increase the number of all subjects taught in Latvian in minority schools. Learning the language is one thing. Learning an unfamiliar science in less-that-proficient language is quite another. The fact that children need to become more educated in the language of the country where they live seems to be irrelevant to the education reform per se. The reform does not increase the number of Latvian language classes taught in the minority schools, but rather increase the number of all subjects taught in Latvian in minority schools. Learning the language is one thing. Learning an unfamiliar science in less-that-proficient language is quite another.

]]> By: Elza http://allaboutlatvia.com/article/12/shtab-saves-face/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Elza Tue, 07 Sep 2004 15:19:53 +0000 http://allaboutlatvia.com/?p=12#comment-5 Education has the same value as<br /> it always had, regardless of the<br /> language it is taught in!<br /> Children need to become better<br /> educated in the language of the<br /> country they reside in!<br /> If the “protesters” of Latvian <br /> language education just want to<br /> be heard and to “run the show” in<br /> Latvia, then they are just wasting<br /> time while their children learn<br /> NOTHING!—That makes no sense!<br /> They can support Russian language<br /> schools, if they have the means,<br /> or have Russian Sunday Schools.— Education has the same value as
it always had, regardless of the
language it is taught in!
Children need to become better
educated in the language of the
country they reside in!
If the “protesters” of Latvian
language education just want to
be heard and to “run the show” in
Latvia, then they are just wasting
time while their children learn
NOTHING!—That makes no sense!
They can support Russian language
schools, if they have the means,
or have Russian Sunday Schools.—

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