Vilnius decides that young children of foreigners must attend only Lithuanian-language schools. What will happen to the Belarusian gymnasium?

Belarusian gymnasium in Vilnius. Photo: Nasha Niva

The decision was supported by 31 deputies, 8 voted against, and 11 abstained.

According to the new rules, children of foreigners with a permanent or temporary residence permit, who have not previously studied in Lithuania and are applying for primary education, will be able to submit an application through the electronic system and choose up to three municipal schools with Lithuanian as the language of instruction. At least one of the chosen schools must be assigned to the child by place of residence, and all schools on the list must be indicated in order of priority.

The changes will only apply to foreigners arriving in Vilnius after the decision comes into force and will not extend to private schools.

Vilnius Vice Mayor Vytautas Mitalas, who initiated the changes, noted that the decision is relevant and concerns exclusively primary education.

The official noted that a high concentration of foreign students in Russian-language schools hinders the acquisition of the Lithuanian language, so integration should begin in primary school, where language acquisition is most effective.

The decision caused concern, especially among members of the Belarusian Association of Parents in Lithuania. They drew attention to the importance of preserving choice for Belarusian children, including the possibility of studying in Belarusian at the Francysk Skaryna Gymnasium in Vilnius – the only state school outside Belarus where teaching is conducted in Belarusian.

On January 26, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's diplomatic adviser Dzianis Kuchynski held a special meeting with representatives of the Vilnius Council and Mayor's Office. The main focus of the conversation was the preservation of the Skaryna Belarusian Gymnasium to support the Belarusian language, culture, and identity. A letter from parents of Belarusian children, signed by over 200 individuals, including intellectuals, public figures, and politicians, was handed over to the self-government representatives.

The Lithuanian side emphasized that it understands the importance of Belarusian culture and language, especially in the context of countering the "Russian world," and considers the integration of Belarusians into Lithuanian society through education very important.

As a result of the meeting, the parties agreed to seek solutions that would allow the Belarusian Gymnasium to continue its activities, ensure the possibility of new students enrolling in it, and also support Belarusian language and culture in Lithuania.

Now, the Vilnius City Council has adopted a procedural resolution that allows the Francysk Skaryna Belarusian Gymnasium to admit new students in the 2026-2027 academic year, if there are available places.

According to the State Audit Office, the proportion of foreign children studying in Lithuanian is decreasing. In the 2024-2025 academic year, only 44% of students studied in Lithuanian, while almost half studied in Russian (29%) and Ukrainian (21%). As a result, 52% of foreign students failed to reach the minimum level in Lithuanian in 2025, and 58% failed to reach the basic level in Lithuanian language and literature.

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