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The Lithuanian version of the book by Carmel Borg, Mario Cardona and Sandro Caruana, titled ‘Social Class, Language and Power. ‘Letter to a Teacher’: Lorenzo Milani and the School of Barbiana’, published by Sense Publishers (Rotterdam, Boston and Taipei), was launched at the National Library of Lithuania, on Tuesday, 23 January.

Following a welcome speech by Professor Renaldas Gudauskas, Head of the National Library, the event was introduced by Vaiva Juškienė, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Vilnius University of Applied Sciences, and by Ausra Simoniukstyte, an anthropologist and Roma community expert at the same university. Both academics, together with Lina Pečiulienė, an early childhood education specialist, were instrumental in promoting the need for the book project.

Professor Carmel Borg delivered a one-hour lecture on the significance of Lorenzo Milani and the Barbiana experience today.  Professor Borg’s speech was followed by a panel discussion on inclusive policies, curricula and practices in education. The panel consisted of: Professor Carmel Borg; Une Kaunaite (education advisor, Office of the Prime Minister); Arminas Varanauskas (Office of the Minister of Education); Albertas Lakstauskas (Vilnius Mayor's education advisor); Diana Slepakoviene (head of a primary school in Vilnius); Birute Sabatauskaite (Human Rights lawyer, Lithuanian Centre for Human Rights); Asta Blande (psychologist); Kestutis Mikolajunas (member of the Lithuanian Parents Forum); and Ausra Simoniukstyte Simoniukstyte.  The panel was chaired by Ruta Kupetyte, journalist at the LNR (Lithuanian National Radio).

The event was covered by several news portals and by the Lithuanian National Radio. A one-hour interview with Professor Borg, conducted by LNR, will be aired next week.

The Lithuanian translation is the sixth translation of the book, following two editions in English.