Just over three million euros (EUR 3 042 039) has been allocated for use until the end of the year.
“Learning the state language is an essential tool for Ukrainian people to get to know Latvia better and faster. It is necessary for people of all ages - children, the economically active and seniors. We do not know today how many of them will be resident temporarily and how many permanently. Therefore, the process of learning the Latvian language must also be seen in the context of the unity of our information space – we must not repeat the mistakes of the past, giving the opportunity for a two-community society to develop,” said Minister of Culture Nauris Puntulis.
According to the information provided by the association "I want to help refugees" and the Society Integration Fund (SIF), Ukrainian civilians who have arrived in Latvia have expressed interest in learning the Latvian language. It is currently estimated that approximately 60% of Ukrainian civilians registered in Latvia this year could attend free Latvian language courses i.e. 7,325 adults so far.
According to the Ministry's calculations, it takes at least 120 lessons to learn Latvian. The average cost of a Latvian language course is 413.43 euros, including all related costs (teachers' fees, teaching materials, rent of premises, teaching equipment, etc.).
