Report no 3-2010
The report deals with Finnish legislation and practice in matters concerning the educational situation of minorities: the right of lingustic minorities to receive education of and in their mother tongue, from an international law perspective and as a right according to Finnish legislation. In practice, this right can be realised in many ways: through state or municipal school education in minority tongues, or through private schools administered by the minorities themselves, which do or do not recieve public support. Some minoriities are of the opinion that the language education is best realised at home. Even though the Swedish language is one of Finland´s two official language form a legal perspective, and not only a minority language, the Swedish status in schools is analysed. The situation of the Sámi, Romani, Russian, Tatars, Yiddisch and Karelian languages are also scrutinized. Kristian Myntti depicts an intensive political debate on language and law, showing threats but also progression for the different languages. (The report is available in Swedish only)