Education Minister of Poland offers support to Ivan Shyla

Education Minister of Poland Katarzyna Hall has invited a member of the Young Front Ivan Shyla, who hadn’t been allowed to sit for the final exam in the secondary school by the Belarusian authorities, to continue education in Poland.

As informed by the website Milinkevich.org, Katarzyna Hall has also promised the young man assistance in getting further education.

“Expulsion of a pupil from a school on the eve of the last exam is an unprecedented accident. Under democratic standards, public activism, activities for promotion of culture and language of one’s nation cannot be an obstacle in continuation of education or receiving a school-leaving certificate,” the Minister of Education noted in her letter.

Katarzyna Hall has stated that all pupils who will face the same situation, will be able to continue education in a Polish secondary school and be given a certificate there.

During an informal conference dedicated to problems of intercultural education held in Oslo Katarzyna Hall has informed European Education Ministers about the incident with Ivan Shyla and her reaction to it.

As we have informed, one of the leaders of the Young Front Ivan Shyla was expelled for his “active public work” a day before his last exam (English). Earlier the teachers council allowed the young activist to sit for the exam, but due to pressure of Minsk officials during a repeat voting the teachers’ council adopted a decision to expel him. Headmaster Volha Syankova has written a letter of resignation from her position due to a desire to terminate her employment. He assistant for educational work Alena Semchankava was fired “for unsatisfactory work.”