Minister Anda Čakša (New Unity) told Latvian Radio that the state currently pays for 1,697 full-time and 758 part-time education students, but in the next academic year, the number of budget seats will be doubled. €1.2 million have been allocated for this purpose, subject to the demand of applicants.
It will also continue previous support measures, such as the Teaching Workforce programme - one year of paid study for those who want to work in a school and have a background in this field - as well as increased grants of €300 in priority areas - STEM subjects, foreign languages relevant to the European Union, and Latvian language.
The criteria for applying for these budget places will also be raised. The average mark in the secondary school certificate must not be lower than 7. The grade in the profile subject that the student will choose as a future teacher must also not be lower than 7. The requirements do not apply in full to pre-school teachers.
The Ministry's offer has been discussed with higher education institutions, and there will be more rigorous selection, uniform admissions and a greater emphasis on internships. There will also be a common qualification exam, similar to the one for lawyers.
Recently, the State Audit Office accused the Ministry of Education of failing to ensure teacher numbers and "regeneration". In education, the lack of human resources can have a more critical impact than in other sectors.
In Latvia as a whole, there are more than 500 unfilled teaching vacancies. The greatest shortage is in Riga, where 101 schools have about half of Latvia's pupils. Daugavpils comes second.
