Macedonian Language Classes Stir Debate

[Risto the Great]

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/25066/

The Macedonian Government is trying to persuade local NGOs not to go to the constitutional court and ask for the scrapping of a new amendment that pushes children from minority communities to start learning the Macedonian language from an earlier age.

Education Minister Nikola Todorov on Monday visited the Realiteti NGO that leads the block which disputes the government's decision to introduce Macedonian language classes in first grade, instead of third grade, as it is currently.

"I think there is no reason for submitting a motion or for concrete activities by the constitutional court in terms of annulling this decision," Todorov told media before the meeting with NGO representatives on Monday.

However he stressed that “every initiative, especially coming from the civil sector, deserves greetings”.
“Realiteti” and several others have already started gathering signatures to support their initiative. They argue that a child aged six would be too overburdened if it has to learn three languages from the start of its education.

Besides its own language it will have to learn Macedonian and one of the world languages, in this case English.

The decision upset the ethnic Albanians in the country, who represent a quarter of the population. But the head of the Albanian party in power, Ali Ahmeti, from the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, attempted to calm the situation by saying 'nothing is final'.

“Politics should stay out of this issue. We should avoid giving it an ethnic pretext that could harm the ethnic relations in the country,” Ahmeti said noting that, “there is a space for talks on this issue."

No, there is no space for talks. When the ethnic Albanians move to another country they can stop learning Macedonian from grade 1.

Which ethnic Albanians do Realiteti represent anyway?

[Pelister]

This is just more interference from Western agencies and Western structures.

[osiris]

what language do the hispanics in the old mexican states of the usa learn at school. chinese japanese castillain or english. the western nations are the ultimate hypcrites when it comes to mnority rights.

[Risto the Great]

I never saw any Hispanics on the Brady Bunch when I was a kid.
Not even too many hot Marcia lookalikes.
You really see a very different USA once you visit there.

[Jankovska]

Excuse me but why is this even up for question? and why hasn't the gov done something at the begining of the year? Vtoro polugodie e? Or is this another thing that is already given but they are throwing a little bit back just to show all of us how much the gov cares. I only wonder what else Grujo has promised Ahmeti.

[Dimko-piperkata]

Albanians living in Macedonia refuse to learn the Macedonian language

YouTube - Albanians living in Macedonia refuse to learn the Macedonian language

[Brygian Seed]

It's time that all of these spy agencies are kicked out of Macedonia.

[Prolet]

It's time that all of these spy agencies are kicked out of Macedonia.

What Spy agencies?

[Brygian Seed]

What Spy agencies?

The so-called NGOs

[Prolet]

Yeah they are spy agencies alright, how do you think they have all the information about us??

They are humanitarian organizations, the Soros foundation is one of them.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Albanians living in Macedonia refuse to learn the Macedonian language

YouTube - Albanians living in Macedonia refuse to learn the Macedonian language

What a disgrace. Any citizen of Macedonia refusing to learn the Macedonian language, the official language of the state, should be subject to some form of government action. Many of these clowns and their offspring are recent arrivals in Macedonia during the 70's, 80' and 90's, at a time when the USA made this group feel untouchable by lending them their utmost support against Macedonians, Serbs, etc.

In Australia, all immigrants are required to learn the language, this is not the same as Greece's policy of forced assimilation where they don't provide their citizens the opportunity to learn anything else, by all means, in Macedonia the state actually encourages its minorities to retain their culture, language, etc through schools and religious institutions. However, the Macedonian language MUST be mandatory for every citizen of Macedonia - They are in Macedonia after all, and no country in the world would accept these divisive and propagandist proposals as described by some ethnic Albanian idiots in Macedonia.

Why haven't the Vlachs, Turks, Roma, etc refused to learn Macedonian? Simple, they respect the state they live in. Most ethnic Albanians do not respect the Macedonian state and do not want to be a part of it. Their actions and reactions have proved this time and again. This is a serious problem that will not disappear, the Macedonians and the ethnic Albanians in Macedonia have some massive issues (created by the latter) that need to be sorted out, ASAP.

[Risto the Great]

The ethnic Albanians will argue they are part of a "Swiss type" State now. Team NATO encouraged this mentality.

[Soldier of Macedon]

So we must do all we can to discourage it.

Macedonia must remain the nation-state of the Macedonian people with full rights to all citizens and minorities - Not a multi-ethnic "Swiss type" experiment.

[Risto the Great]

Macedonia must remain the nation-state of the Macedonian people with full rights to all citizens and minorities - Not a multi-ethnic "Swiss type" experiment.

Agreed. So anyone who encourages the nature of the Ohrid agreement and alliances with organisations who insisted on these attacks to our sovereignty should be treated as enemies of the State. Which, by default, would actually have to include Macedonia's Government from Gruevski right down to all the other Bulgarian arse sniffers.

[Soldier of Macedon]

The quicker we get the Macedonian Cause defined and finalised (as much as it can be at the moment, taking into account your suggestion of leaving some segments open for revision going forward), the better for all of us, and the clearer it will be to determine where everybody stands on these issues.