ABSTRACT
The right of persons belonging to national minorities to maintain their identity can only be fully realised if they acquire a proper knowledge of their mother tongue during the educational process. 1 This is the only way of preserving, developing and in some cases also revitalising not only the language itself but very often the entire minority culture. The present article presents an inventory and analysis of minority rights in education, with particular emphasis on the status of minority languages in education. The importance to minorities of the transmission of their language and values through education has long been recognised in international law. It was recognised in the minorities treaties of the League of Nations and its importance was underlined in the case law of the Permanent Court of International Justice. What is then the current status of education rights of minorities under international law? How should the education of minorities be structured in order to be in accordance with international rules? Does international law address the issue of bi- and multilingualism? Do minority rights in education support processes of revitalisation of minority languages? These issues are treated in the present chapter.
