Vilnius Belarusian gymnasium to keep admitting emigrants’ children in the 2027/28 school year

The Vilnius municipality has confirmed that the new school admission rules will not prevent the Francysk Skaryna Gymnasium from admitting emigrants' children in the 2027/28 school year. This was reported by the Association of Belarusian Parents in Lithuania.

In its reply, received on 9 November, the municipality stated that the changes will not negatively affect the admission to the Belarusian gymnasium of children from countries outside the European Union who have the right to temporary or permanent residence in Lithuania.

Children who currently attend the preparatory groups at the gymnasium will be able to enter the first grades. The municipality also said that the opportunity to study the Belarusian language will remain.

In 2026, the Vilnius authorities changed the admission rules: children from non-EU countries starting primary school for the first time were obliged to choose schools with Lithuanian as the language of instruction. The Skaryna Gymnasium is the only state school in Lithuania where teaching is done in Belarusian.

At the beginning of the year, Deputy Mayor Vytautas Mitalas submitted to the council a decision to admit the children of newly arrived foreigners only to schools with Lithuanian as the language of instruction, starting from the primary level. In January 2026, the city council approved a measure obliging children from non-EU countries to study in Lithuanian-language schools.

On 18 March, the municipality considered amending the statutes of three schools that operate in the languages of national minorities. At the Skaryna Gymnasium, classes were to be formed in which Lithuanian would be the main language of instruction. In August, the city council made yet another change to the admission procedure.

The new wording of one of the provisions alarmed Belarusian parents: questions arose over whether it would make it harder for children without Lithuanian citizenship to enter the gymnasium. On 2 October, the Association of Belarusian Parents sent an appeal to the municipality to find out how the rules would be applied in practice.

The municipality said it aims to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the gymnasium, combining integration and instruction in the state language, Lithuanian, with the opportunity to study the Belarusian language and preserve Belarusian identity. The association welcomed these clarifications and thanked the municipality for its reply. It noted the importance of official confirmation for Belarusian families.

Exactly how the rules will work in practice in the coming school year remains a question for parents for now.