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MEDIA RELEASE |
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Communications |
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Ref. DC 183(2023) Poland: More efforts needed for regional or minority language use, according to expert committee Strasbourg, 31.08.2023 – Poland needs to take a more “proactive” and “structured” approach to promote regional or minority languages, says areport published today by the Committee of Experts, which monitors adherence to the Council of Europe’s European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Although Polish legislation provides a framework for using regional or minority languages in fields such as education, administration, media, culture – and the Polish authorities provide financial support for activities and initiatives in the languages covered by the Charter – the report found significant gaps in implementing the Charter, which entered into force in Poland in 2009 and applies to the following languages: Armenian, Belarusian, Czech, German, Karaim, Kashub, Lemko, Lithuanian, Romani, Russian, Slovak, Tatar, Ukrainian and Yiddish. Based on the political and legal situation prevailing at the time of the Committee of Experts’ visit to Poland in March this year, the report determined “obvious negative consequences” after Poland lowered teaching of German as a minority language since September last year to only one hour per week, unlike the three hours for the other regional or minority languages. The reversal of this measure is one of the main recommendations of the report. Moreover, education in regional or minority languages as ratified, remains an exception, with most languages being only taught as a subject. Even in these cases, continuity from pre-school to secondary education is missing for some. Some languages are not taught at all in schools, and teacher availability and textbook provisions remain problematic. Although the education subsidy from national authorities to local authorities – an important means to promote regional or minority language education – continues to be provided, there is still a “clear need to improve the system” and to make the subsidy more effective and transparent, in close co-operation with regional or minority language speakers. The report also notes the “scarce” use of regional or minority languages in administration, and a lack of “legal or practical developments in this domain, where the situation has practically come to a standstill.” Indeed, a 20% threshold in Poland “is hampering” regional or minority language use in administration, despite previous monitoring recommendations that the Polish authorities reconsider it. Only four languages meet legal requirements for their use in relation with municipalities, but, even in these cases, implementation is inconsistent – with “hardly any use” in practice. While bilingual place name signs exist in five languages, longstanding municipal applications to register new bilingual such place names have not led to results. The report notes that German language place name signs removed after the 2017 enlargement of the city of Opole have not been reintroduced. The report furthermore raises concern over the presence of regional or minority languages in the media. While Poland undertook to set up public radio stations and television channels in regional or minority languages, only programmes in some of these languages are broadcast, and their duration and frequency are “insufficient”. A few languages only are present on private broadcasting media. The report notes the financial support of the authorities for various cultural activities organised by associations of regional or minority languages. In addition, some institutions, museums and libraries organise activities that include regional or minority languages and cultures. On the other hand, representatives for regional or minority language speakers emphasised difficulties linked to annual project-based funding and the sustainability and capacity to plan the activities. Report recommendations to Poland designated as a “matter of priority” include the following: 1. Reverse measures reducing the teaching of German as a minority language in education and make available education in Belarusian, German, Kashub, Lemko and Ukrainian at pre-school, primary and secondary levels. 2. Adopt a structured policy for the application of the Charter to each regional or minority language, including flexible measures facilitating implementation to Armenian, Czech, Karaim, Romani, Russian, Slovak, Tatar and Yiddish, in co-operation with the speakers. 3. Provide basic and further training of a sufficient number of teachers for regional or minority language education, as well as updated textbooks and other educational materials. 4. Strengthen efforts to promote awareness and tolerance in Polish society as a whole in relation to the regional or minority languages and the cultures they represent. 5. Implement ratified provisions of Article 10 (Administrative authorities and public services) in local and regional administrative units where speakers are traditionally present in sufficient numbers, irrespective of the 20% threshold. 6. Extend radio and television broadcasting in all regional or minority languages. *** The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is the Council of Europe’s convention designed to protect and promote states parties’ traditional regional or minority languages and enable speakers of these languages to use them in both private and public life. Its implementation is monitored by an independent Committee of Experts. The treaty entered into force on 1 March 1998 and is now in force in 25 states. The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and Poland |
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Panos Kakaviatos, Spokesperson/Media officer, Tel. +33 6 98 37 64 04 |
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Council of Europe, Media Assistance Unit |
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