Education and Science
Education and Science
Education and Science
The government on Tuesday, September 27, backed the introduction of a mandatory centralized science exam from the 2025/2026 school year.
Latvia ranks fairly highly in new data published by Eurostat relating to language learning. The data is based on figures from 2020.
On Tuesday, September 20, the government postponed viewing the issue of setting a mandatory science exam for high-school graduates. The government plans to view it again in two weeks' time, it being after the new parliamentary elections.
A looming strike by teachers has been called off after their union and the government reached a compromise September 16.
The Latvian Education and Science Workers' Trade Union (LIZDA) decided on Wednesday to launch an open-ended strike on September 19, without accepting the offer made by the Ministry of Education and Science (IZM), said Inga Vanaga, Head of LIZDA, to Latvian Television September 15.
University students have studied remotely for two winters due to the pandemic. Unexpectedly, there is news for many that this year they'll have to sit at home again but not due to Covid-19. This time it is due to universities being unable to cope with energy prices, Latvian Radio reported on September 14.
Seeking opportunities to prevent the open-ended strike by education workers, the government will offer to switch to a 40-hour workweek with a pay rate of €1,200 a month starting January 1. This will mean a 30% rise in wages, Education and Science Minister Anita Muižniece (Conservatives) said after a meeting of the government parties on September 12.
Around 23 000 education workers will participate in the strike organized by the Latvian Education and Science Workers Union (LIZDA), according to the application submitted by LIZDA on September 12.
Age should be no barrier to education and if you have a desire to learn, the European Union's "Erasmus+" program may be able to help, according to education specialists on the Latvian Radio program "How to live better".
In Ventspils, the first Digital Transformation Center in Latvia has been opened, which will focus on adults' digital education, Latvian Radio reported on September 9.
During a crunch meeting of the teachers' strike settlement commission on Wednesday, no compromise was found between the Latvian Education and Science Workers' Union (LIZDA) and the Ministry of Education and Science (IZM). This means that an indefinite strike of teachers belonging to that union will take place from September 19, according to the head of LIZDA, Inga Vanaga.
With the challenges of this moment in our country, there is 'no need for a teacher strike', Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš said on Latvian Television morning broadcast on September 2.
The new school year begins in Latvia, as usual, on September 1. The main challenges are the lack of study resources and teachers. These challenges are also accompanied by Ukrainian children joining schools and uncertainty about the Covid-19 situation, Latvian Television reported.
The Ministry of Education and Science (IZM) is considering the option to withdraw from the system of budget seats and paid seats in tertiary education, instead introducing co-payments for most students, IZM told LETA on August 30.
More than 3,300 Ukrainians will start learning in kindergartens and schools of Latvia on Thursday. Their full integration in the training process is planned this year with education in Latvian only or in minority programs in Ukrainian, Latvian Television reported on August 29.
The construction of the University of Latvia's (LU) House of Letters, intended to house the faculties of social sciences and humanities, as well as the library, has symbolically begun on August 25, Latvian Television reported.
Until the end of this week, August 28, people have the opportunity to support large low-income families, as well as Ukrainian refugee families whose children will start school this year in different regions of Latvia.
Rīga's schools have decided to introduce a parental co-payment for school lunches at €1.15 a day starting October. Lunches will still be free for pupils in years 1–4 and those belonging to socially disadvantaged groups, Rīga City Council said August 19.
The Latvian Education and Science Workers' Union (LIZDA) decided unanimously on Wednesday to send another letter to the Ministry of Education and Science (IZM). If the ministry does not change its position in the near future, then teachers will strike, Latvian Television reported August 17.
Ukrainians have displayed quite a lot of interest in enrolment in Latvian universities, including people who have moved to Latvia after the beginning of the war and those who apply for studies while still in Ukraine, Latvian Radio reported on August 10.
In the following school year, free school lunches could only remain in 7 or 8 municipalities due to high prices, Ināra Dundure, advisor to the Latvian Association of Local Governments for Education and Culture, said in an interview on Latvian Radio on July 21.
A new publication outlines the state of the Latvian language during the years 2016-2020. Published by the Latvian Language Agency (LVA) it analyzes the Latvian language skills of Latvian residents and the problems related to Latvian language acquisition, language use in various sociolinguistic domains, and the proficiency and positions of various other languages in the linguistic environment.
The most frequently chosen study programs by new applicants at universities are computer science and social science. , it informed higher education institutions. The Latvian Employers' Confederation welcomed the results, but still highlights the lack of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) specialists, Latvian Radio reported July 19.
This year, 10,144 potential students have applied for studies in one of the 12 Latvian universities, which is the smallest number in the last three years, according to information in the joint portal Latvija.lv on Monday, July 19.
The government has determined that Ukrainian children in Latvian schools will have to acquire education in Latvian or in a minority education program in the Ukrainian language, LETA reported July 14.
Ukrainian civilians will be exempted from study fees at the University of Latvia (LU) at 100% during the autumn semester, LU said July 13.
The Liepāja University Council has proposed to set up a Kurzeme University within the next four years. The intention is to merge Liepāja University and Ventspils University, said Andris Grafs, Chairman of the University Council of Liepājs, in an interview to Latvian Radio on July 11.
On July 11, applications for Latvian language courses funded by the Rīga municipality are opened. Latvian Radio reported that this year, priority is given to Ukrainian war refugees.
Due to overall price increases, there is also an increase in fees in university dormitories. Some students are already having trouble, but universities say that in winter, following rising energy prices, fees could rise again, Latvian Radio reported on July 8.
In minority schools, an average of 10%-30% of teachers do not know the state language at a sufficient level, according to the State Language Center (VVC). The situation varies drastically from school to school, Latvian Radio reported on July 7.
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