A SATURDAY school is under threat because of ‘unfair’ council funding rules.
The Nottinghamshire Lithuanian Society has had its last two applications for cash to run the project turned down even though other ethnic minorities get support.
Notts county council says there needs to be at least 30 youngsters, but the Colwick Community centre group only gets 16 regularly attending.
Society chairman Stephan Collishaw (both correct) said: “This policy discriminates against communities like the Lithuanians because while there are one billion Chinese around the world, there are fewer than four million Lithuanians. It’s totally unfair.
“We do not mind being self-sufficient but find it hard that we have to pay so much money to provide these children with a sense of their heritage, especially when the council is trumpeting its interest in developing a respect for all ethnicities in Nottinghamshire.”
He says the school is running very low on finances and the society doesn’t know what will happen after Christmas. All teachers work for nothing and have to purchase resources from their own pockets.
They have been looking into getting project money from the Arts council but think it may stop them teaching the children Lithuanian and something of their heritage, culture and music.
Mr Collishaw added: “It means we have to put on specific projects which might not actually do what we want.
“What we need is long-term, stable funding to meet the rent expended on our school.”
A council spokesperson said: "Funding for supplementary schools is always very tight and Nottinghamshire is one of the counties that continues to support this area of work. The county council has been in touch with the proprietor of the school to offer assistance in other ways, for example passing on details of the supplementary school to families who may be interested in joining. We will also be reviewing the situation concerning our support to supplementary schools."