In April 1977, Kuršėnai Middle School llth-grade student Petras Vozbutas died in the village of Šilkalniai. The parents decided to bury their son with church rites. The colleagues of the deceased's mother—teacher Vanda Vozbutienė— began to stir, to react:
"What are you doing? You are shaming the Varputėnai school.. ."
Principal Juozas Baraška was furious, head of academics, Vanda Grybauskienė, was even more upset. They said:
"We won't forgive you for this!"
Teacher Vozbutienė was in fact terrorized in various ways, threatened and left the school after she became unable to bear the ag-gresive behavior of her colleagues.
It should be noted that in similar instances, not only do fanatical teachers display hostility, but so do others who fear to incur the displeasure of the education department and the party committee.
Šaukėnai (Rayon of Kelmė)
Teacher Dana Oškelienė teaches history at the Šaukėnai Middle School. During one class, as the teacher explained that the world appeared from matter, the following discussion took place between her and student Linas Milius:
"Teacher, if the world appeared from matter, where did the matter come from?"
"That's none of your business."
"Then who can explain it?"
"Sit down, you idiot!"
"If I'm an idiot, please send me to the doctor." "Get out!"
The student was ousted from the classroom.
Antašava (Rayon of Kupiškis)
During the summer of 1977, the sound of children singing was heard in the AntaSava parish church. The children joyfully gathered to sing and asked the organist (Miss) P. Bieliauskaitė to teach them new hymns
Once the school year began, teachers began to demand that children not sing in church. The children did not obey. The teachers then began to ask which children go sing and demanded written statements about whether or not they sing in the choir.
When the children assembled at the home of Jonas Šimonis on March 19, 1978 to learn Easter hymns, Viee-Chairman Astikas of the Kupiškis Rayon Executive Committee suddenly came into the room, as did Antašava district chairman J. Nakas and Antašava school principal Valda Sanvaitienė. The visitors began to question the organist about what she was doing here:
"We are learning to sing," replied the organist.
"Don't you know that you are breaking the law? Only parents have the right to teach children, but you do not have that right," stated Rayon Vice-Chairman Astikas.
"I know that under the new Constitution, no limits are placed on the freedom of conscience and it is forbidden to persecute believers."
The committee interrogated the organist as to where she lives, what kind of work she does, wrote down the names of all the children and drafted a report on the crime committed. As they were leaving they hurled threats, saying that they will meet again.
Several weeks later, Astikas came to the middle school and tried to persuade the children not to go sing in church. They were again ordered to write down which children go sing and were threatened that those who do sing would be given poor references and would not be admitted to any school of higher education.
Teachers Irena Kluckienė and Vale Martinkienė went to see the students' parents and pleaded with them not to allow their children to join the church choir.
Later, at a parents' meeting, principal Sanvaitienė explained that Jonas Šimonis had committed a serious crime by allowing children to learn to sing in his room and the organist also committed a serious offense and would suffer the consequences if she did not stop teaching the children.
Tauragė
On April 13, 1976, 11a grade homeroom teacher K. Pušinskas of the Second Middle School of Tauragė made plans for his students to pay their respects to the deceased grandfather of their classmate Kisielius, but principal Jurgis Jankauskas forbade the students to go to church, threatening to give unsatisfactory deportment grades to those who disobey. Despite the principal's ban, 14 1 lth-grade students attended the funeral.
At the April 19th meeting of the faculty council, the students, who attended the funeral were warned never again to behave this way.
Pikeliai (R a y o n of Mažeikiai)
Roma Jasmentaitė, (sic — translator) leader of the Pioneers, decided to enroll Laima Bružokaitė into the Pioneers. She advised the girl not to tell her parents what was happening in school. Upon learning that her daughter had been enrolled in the pioneers, Laima's mother ordered her to go withdraw from the organization, which is what the girl did.
After Easter, when teacher Jasmentaitienė (sic — translator) learned that Laima attended church, she intimidated the girl in various ways, driving her to tears.
Who will remind teacher Jasmentaitienė (sic — translator) not to act as a party inquisitor in school and not to interfere in students' matters of conscience?
Šiauliai
On February 24, 1978, Principal Snieškus of the Fourth Middle School in Šiauliai asked the following of Grade 9M: "Why are ten students in this class still not Communist Youth members? It came out that some of the students—Virginija Viducirytė, Alma Šileikaitė, Gitana Tamošiunaitė and Dalia Judikaviciūtė—did not join the Communist Youth League because of their religious beliefs. The principal insulted these girls as having poor personalities and threatened that those who do not join the Communist Youth will be expelled from the mathematics class.
Principal Snieškus has called on the assistance of instructors at the teacher's institute to re-educate the believing girls. On February 13th, one such "educator" attempted to persuade Dalia Judikaviciūtė to join the Communist Youth League and not practice her faith.
