Education Minister Karlis Šadurskis was among those offering their congratulations, particularly to children starting school for the first time, aged 7.
"I cannot promise you that learning will be easy, but we will do our best to make learning interesting and creative, and the education you receive will provide you with a wide range of opportunities for your future life and work, making Latvia a prosperous country," Šadurskis said in a message on the ministry website.
He added that €282 million has been provided to local governments to restore, build and create a comfortable school environment for schoolchildren and teachers across Latvia in more than 100 schools, with the Riga French Lyceum and the Ikskile Secondary School among those getting entirely new premises.
L'Ambassadeur a participé à la fête de la rentrée scolaire à l'Ecole française Jules Verne et à l'inauguration du nouveau bâtiment du Lycée Français de Riga. pic.twitter.com/3Eoc543drh
— AmbaFrance Lettonie (@FrancijaLatvija) September 3, 2018
This is also the final year before the introduction of an entirely new curriculum in 2019 - if current government plans are carried out as intended after October's parliamentary elections.
"The new content will make the work of the teacher more interesting and creative. I know that many schools in Latvia are already working in a modern and professional way... A key priority in the new content will also be [encouraging] healthy, sporty lifestyle habits among children and young people," said the minister, adding that teachers are also getting pay rises.
