Latvian schools to stop teaching Russian
The Ministry of Education of Latvia has provided a three-year transition period for schools to find new teachers (Photo:marekssteins/pixabay)
The Russian language could soon vanish from the curricula of Latvian schools, as Latvia’s Education Ministry announced plans to replace it with a European language as the second foreign language taught in schools, Latvian public broadcaster LSM reported on Nov. 21.
The changes will take effect by the time 2026-2027 school year begins. According to the ministry, these changes will contribute to "the full integration of young people into the European educational space, will contribute to the study of the official languages of the EU, which, in turn, opens up wider employment opportunities within the EU and beyond."
A three-year transition period will allow schools to find new teachers or give teachers the opportunity to retrain.
In Latvia, the first foreign language is taught from 1st grade, which must be one of the official languages of the European Union. Most often parents choose English.
The educational institution determines independently which second foreign language students begin to study in the 4th grade.
According to a survey conducted in 2021, almost half of schools in Latvia offer no choice, and in more than 300 schools, students can only study Russian as their second foreign language.
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