Šiauliai
On September 16, 1975 a meeting of the welders group was held at the Šiauliai Technical Trade School, during which an attempt was made to enroll all the students in the Communist Youth League. Students would be called in front of the class and asked: "Do you yourself refuse to join the Youth League or do your parents forbid you to join?" Those who did not join the Youth League were ejected from the classroom and told to bring their parents. Student Urbutis explained that he would not join the Communist Youth League even if forced to do so.
"I will not yield to force. Neither I nor my parents want me to join the Communist Youth League."
When asked if his parents are believers and attend church, the student replied:
"We are all believers and attend church."
Urbutis was ridiculed. Instructors Gylys and Milius ordered the students who did not join the Communist Youth League to stand for a half hour with their arms raised.
"All thieves, hoodlums and Fascists do not belong to the Communist Youth League," shouted Milius. "If you fill out the forms you won't have to stand with your arms raised, but if you don't fill them out, we will expel you from school."
The students were terrorized for an entire hour but did not give in. Those who did not join the Communist Youth League were assigned the hardest work. Half of the class did not join the Communist Youth League.
Šiauliai
On November 27, 1975 Assistant Principal (Mrs) Žičkienė of the Šiauliai J. Janonis Middle School summoned the mother of class VII b student Rimutė Vaitkutė and asked whether her daughter prays at home, goes to confession and so on.
"What kind of question is that? My daughter and I are both Catholics, therefore we fulfill our Catholic duties," replied (Mrs) Vaitkienė.
"Your daughter has not yet joined the Communist Youth League. She will be ridiculed in school for attending church."
"My daughter is not afraid of that. She will be able to bear it for her convictions, because she knows this is honorable."
Šiauliai
Juozas Vidugiris, the father of a seventh-grade Šiauliai 9th Middle School pupil, died on December 22, 1975.
Homeroom Teacher (Mrs) Elena Baškienė brought a wreath with her students and inquired when the funeral would be held and most important, whether with church rites? If with church rites, she would not allow the students to attend. Otherwise, the whole class would be present. On the eve of the funeral, homeroom teacher Baškienė again came to inquire and when she learned that the funeral would be conducted with church rites, she did not allow the children to leave school.
Plateliai
Vida Mikalauskaitė, a seventh-grade pupil, began to sing in the Plateliai church choir at the beginning of 1975. When Principal Stripinis of the Plateliai Middle School. (At his instigation, the stations of the cross were demolished in Plateliai.) and the teachers learned of this, they decided to drive the girl away from the church. Homeroom teacher (Mrs) Balavičienė ordered Mikalauskaitė's mother to stop sending her daughter to church. (Mrs.) Mikalauskienė asked the homeroom teacher not to interfere in this matter because the constitution guarantees freedom of belief.
"Well, at least take her in the evening, so no one can see," instructed the teacher.
The homeroom teacher accused the girl of debasing the name of the Soviet school by singing in the choir.
Kretinga
On January 16, 1976 a parents meeting was held in the ninth grade of the Kretinga Middle School. Home Room Teacher Pempienė scolded the, because the children would not join the Communist Youth League.
"We will make every effort to raise Communist Youth League members into good, exemplary persons, therefore, you parents must influence your children to all join the Communist Youth League."
"That's exactly what you should do," answered one mother. "Raise the members of the Communist Youth Legue to be exemplary, decent and well-behaved, then perhaps their example will influence our children also and we won't have to force them, they will join the Communist Youth League on their own."
"But don't you force your daughter to kneel at the altar in church?" asked homeroom teacher (Mrs) Pempienė.
"I do not force her. My daughter voluntarily attends church and even keeps vigil. That's why she is good and well-behaved, you, her teacher, cannot deny that," calmly replied the mother.
Palanga
In 1971 Algirdas Petrutis enrolled in the fifth grade of the Palanga Middle School. Because he had been forcibly enrolled in the Pioneers, without his parents, consent, the pupil did not wear his Pioneer necktie, although the teachers constantly reminded him of it. Once, homeroom teacher Vytautas Kusas kept Petrutis after school and ordered him to write one hundred times, "A Pioneer without a necktie," thus attempting to force Petrutis to wear his Pioneer neckties.
The boy complained at home. The pupil's guardian Astrauskas went to see school Principal Kazlauskas and demanded that the boy be crossed of the Pioneer roll, because he did not want to belong and his guardians supported him. The child does not and will not wear his necktie. If the child is harassed further he will be withdrawn from school. The principal explained to Astrauskas that he cannot withdraw the boy from the Pioneers because the school's goal is to enroll all pupils in this organization. For a time no one forced Petrutis to wear the necktie.
At the end of 1973, homeroom teacher Vytautas Kusas told the class to draw a picture on an atheist subject. School-boy Petrutis complained to his guardians that the homeroom teacher told him to draw a picture of a priest collecting money in church and then buying a "Volga" car with the money. The guardians explained that a religious boy cannot draw such pictures. At school the child refused to draw the picture. The angry teacher told Petrutis to take his books and not return to school. The boy went home crying. (Mrs) Astrauskienė went to the school and asked the homeroom teacher why the boy was expelled from school.
"We told him to draw this postcard," and took from his drawer a regular postcard which he showed (Mrs) Astrauskienė.
"I would now like to know which one of you is lying," asked (Mrs) Astrauskienė, "the pupil or the teacher? Petrutis told me that you ordered him to draw a picture on an atheist subject. I will call the child and clear this up."
The homeroom teacher blushed and did not allow the pupil to be called. Teacher (Mrs) Ditkevičienė who was present at the conference called (Mrs.) Astrauskienė a religious fanatic.
"I ask you sincerely," (Mrs) Astrauskienė addressed the teachers, "not to ruin the children with your atheistic subjects, but rather teach them. If you expel the child one more time on atheistic pretexts, I will write a complaint to the Ministry of Education.
Gargždai
In the spring of 1975, VIIc homeroom teacher (Mrs) Rimeikiene of the Gargždai No. 2 Middle School, was selecting students for an atheist club at a class meeting. She asked students who attend church to stand up. At first, half of the class stood up. After glaring at the students who publicly attend church, the teacher addressed those who remained seated. Whenever the teacher named a student and wanted to enroll him in the atheist club, the student stood up and said: "I attend church, and cannot join atheists." Finally, the whole class consisting of 32students unanimously stated that they all attend church and would not join an atheist club. The teacher became very angry and began to scold all of them. Finally, homeroom teacher (Mrs) Kuneikienė chose four students and forcibly enrolled them in the atheist club.
Principal Liudvika Jurgulis of the Gargždai No. 2 Middle School is determined to turn all students into atheists. The students complain that they are often given questionnaires to fill out about their convictions, they are summoned into the auditorium and lectured on atheist subjects for two to three hours. Those students who attend church are publicly ridiculed and atheist Communist Youth League members are assigned to "look after" them. Groups of atheist Communist Youth League members go to the homes of believer students and explain the "damage" of religion to the parents.
Upon discovering that VII c class student Ivaškevičius attends church, director Jurgulis and teachers (Mrs.) Ridžiauskienė and Imbrazienė, came to class and demanded from student Ivaškis to tell them why he is a believer and who is forcing him to attend church. Furthermore they attempted to force the pupil to promise never to atteng church again.
Religious students are summoned to the principal's office and scolded for attending church.
Although the children are boldly terrorized, there are some brave ones who attend church every Sunday.
Rūdiškės
(Trakai Rayon) At the end of 1975, the principal of the middle school summoned to his office ninth-grade student Petras Stašauskas, an altar boy at the Rūdiškės church, and told him to sign a statement that a priest had asked him to come to church and serve at Mass. The student refused to sign. He admitted that he voluntarily attends church and serves at Mass. The principal threatened to prosecute him. Later he attempted several times to convince P. Stašauskas not to attend church and lowered his deportment grade.
Jadvyga Poplovskaya, an eleventh-grade student at the same school, also received a lower deportment grade for attending church and was threatened with receiving such recommendations that no school of higher education would admit her.
