The Ministry had perviously offered to merge the State Educational Content Center (VISC), VIAA and LVA into one state institution. The Ministry's plan to reorganize the Latvian language agency caused concern among some members of the public, who feared this would lower the status of the national language policy "only to training for immigrants and teaching at school".
Now the Ministry proposes that VIAA take over certain functions and tasks of LVA from June 1, 2025, for example, to support the learning of the Latvian language in Latvia and abroad.
Also, VIAA would organize the learning of Latvian as a second language and a foreign language at all levels of education and lifelong learning, as well as the development and publication of teaching literature, educational and informative materials. VIAA would also be in charge of implementing published scientific and educational literature, educational and informative materials, overseeing projects in the field of Latvian language learning, teaching methodology and intercultural communication.
LVA, on the other hand, will continue to develop dictionaries, manuals and terminology, provide consultations on the use of the Latvian language, as well as provide linguistic opinions on certain texts or their parts at the request of law enforcement authorities.
VIAA would also take over the functions and tasks of VISC and the Youth International Programs Agency (JSPA). According to the draft order, VISC will be liquidated on January 1, 2025, and JSPA a year later.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has also recommended the merger of VISC and VIAA, as there was an overlap of roles and responsibilities in certain areas, especially in the implementation of national education policy in general education and vocational education.
The Latvian Language Agency (LVA) should not be confused with the State Language Center (VVC), though it frequently is.
The LVA says its aim is "to enhance the status and promote sustainable development of the Latvian language" and that it is "implementing the state language policy"
In contrast the VVC says it "implements the national policy in regard to supervision and control of the conformity with laws and regulations in the field of the official language use," and "supervises the implementation of the Official Language Law."
So, in plain language, IZM originally wanted to merge LVA, VIAA and VISC. But now it wants to merge VIAA and VISC, as recommended by the OECD, but keep LVA though some functions of LVA will now be done by VISC. IZM will also merge JSPA and VISC, which will in turn merge with VIAA, but none of this will affect VVC.
