The position of the Ministry of Administration and Digitization

All of the above entities have participated in works related to developing the Strategy, though its true that expectations regarding the participation of the local government side, both on the part of the government, and of the minority, were greater.

A. 4. Comments

Add (with regard to the Strategy) that the Belorussian minority postulates establishing a Belorussian Culture and Education Centre in Białystok, financed from the state funds;

Since 1990's, the Belorussian minority requests for establishing the Belorussian Culture and Education Centre in Białystok which would be financed from the state funds (government and local administration funds), so far the state and local administration are refusing; the national minorities should be able to run at least one culture institution, which would act for the culture and language of a minority ;

In the last paragraph (of the Report), a declaration of the Polish authorities should be added concerning establishing a culture institution for each of the minorities, including the Belorussian Culture and Education Centre in Białystok.

B. 4. The position of the Ministry of Administration and Digitization

The postulate has not been entered into the text of the Strategy. The government administration is interested in establishing the Institutes for National and Ethnic Minorities and Regional Languages, which is proven by the above mentioned undertaken actions. However, until now, only the representatives of the Lemko minority organizations have decided to begin works to establish an Institute, the Ministry of Administration and Digitization has not recieved any project of the Belorussian Culture and Education Centre in Białystok.

2. Karaim minority representative in the Common Commission of the Government and National and Ethnic Minorities Mariola Abkowicz

A. Comments

The Tatar language and literature are studied at the Department of Asian Studies of the Adam Mickiewicz University at turkology, and at the Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, the University of Łódź and the Białystok University.

B. The position of the Ministry of Administration and Digitization

The Report informs that there is no possibility of studying the Tatar language as a study major at the universities - because a recommendation of the Committee of Experts for The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is expressly related to the study major.

3. The representatives of the Lemko minority in the Common Commission of the Government and National and Ethnic Minorities Mirosława Kopystiańska and Stefan Dudra.

Comments

We criticize operations of the public media in Poland. Their operations aimed at raising awareness of the general public about the national minorities and minority and regional languages are, in our opinion, not sufficient. The mentioned examples that partially serve their role (p. 28 of the draft Report) are not able to establish the awareness of the general public in the above mentioned subject. We are concerned with blaming particular minorities for the lack of specific actions (for instance, in the case of a minority language). We think the government side should demonstrate greater activity.

4. Union of German Socio-Cultural Associations in Poland. A. 1. Comments

● Organizations of the german minority indicate insufficient promotional activities with regard to promoting awareness and tolerance towards the German language as a national minority language. For example, school events in areas inhabited by the German minority, having patriotic character during Polish national holidays do not consider the fact that the local student community is composed in substantial portion of children from the german minority . School events supporting German national identity are not organized or do not have the same rank as the events to support Polish national identity. This means that in spite of existing legal grounds, the situation in the schools differs from the recommended forms of activities that promote the awareness and tolerance towards the minority languages and the cultures they represent.

● The German minority organizations point out that there are no campaigns addressed to adults - apart from those initiated directly by the minority.

● The german minority organizations cannot refer to the mentioned campaign, because its content and form are unknown. At present, only the general assumptions of the campaign are known.

B. 1. The position of the Ministry of Administration and Digitization

The national holidays are for all the citizens, regardless of their nationalities, thus the thesis that they are "events to sustain the sense of Polish nationality" is wrong. Assigning suitable importance to holidays important from the point of view of the german minority should be a job of the schools, parents, and local communities. At schools where all the children learn German as their mother tongue, and there are many of them, it should not be a problem. It is good to take advantage of experiences of other minorities. In addition, it should be emphasized that the campaign to promote the use of minority and regional languages being prepared by the Ministry of Administration and Digitalization is addressed mostly to adults. The discussed campaign is the answer to a comment in tiret 2.

A. 2. Comments

Regarding teaching of the German language within the public education system:

 Among the aforementioned facilities, in most of these institutions, teaching of the German language is conducted in the form of additional classes. The german minority organizations indicate the fact that the schools do not teach in German.

 The german minority organizations indicate the fact that the schools do not teach in German.

 Promoting teaching in German as a minority language is hindered by unfavourable administrative adjudications and negative atmosphere in media around events such as in Elementery School no. 13 in Koźle Rogi where, because four parents failed to fill their applications for teaching of the German language as a minority language, the organization of the classes in this language was unjustifiably questioned . The position of state administration authorities and processing such matters like in Koźle Rogi is not beneficial for education of minorities.

 The german minority organizations point out the lack of provisions that would ensure funding for educational investments of associations with funds allocated for minority language teaching, since they end up in full in the budget of local government units. The funds for teaching minority languages are only made available after creating a facility as a part of a general educational subvention, thus they are not available at the

investment stage, which effectively inhibits creating new facilities, especially schools of associations.

 The number of high schools teaching the German language as a national minority language is disturbingly low, and results from unfavourable regulations on subjects selection by the students learning German as a minority language. Those students – as opposed to other students - are obliged to pass one additional examination in their national minority language, and cannot pass German as a modern foreign language at the maturity exam. In addition, the results of the maturity exam in their national minority language may be, but usually are not taken into account in the recruitment process at universities.

A. 3. Comments