Lithuania’s Ministry of Education, Science and Sports plans to stop teaching Russian as a second foreign language local school students can choose at their own discretion, head of the ministry Jurgita Siugzdiniene told reporters on Monday.
“We would like to do this, and we will strive for this. The number of students who choose as their second foreign language not Russian but other languages is gradually increasing,” she said.
The problem which complicates such a transition is a shortage of foreign language teachers.
“Most of all, pedagogical universities trained specialists in the Russian language, while in others there is a shortage of personnel,” Siugzdiniene noted.