On 30 August at Riga Castle President of Latvia Egils Levits met with Anita Muižience, Minister of Education and Science, to discuss topical issues in the area of education – organisation of the school network and increasing teachers’ salaries, the transition to education in the official language and the reform of higher education.
When discussing with Minister Muižniece the demands expressed by educators as they prepare to strike in September of this year, the President of Latvia stressed that the Ministry of Education and Science and the Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees must come to a compromise, because the children must not suffer. Nevertheless, President Levits also noted that teachers need to receive adequate remuneration, balanced workloads and have access to support mechanisms.
“The work of a modern-day educator is closely linked with the level of education of the next generations, thus the quality of development of the state of Latvia and its society,” President Levits noted and remarked that “the next convocation of the Saeima and the government need to prioritise finding a solution to these long-standing problems”.
Minister of Education and Science Anita Muižniece noted that the issue of teachers’ salaries is closely related to the organisation of the school network.
When discussing the organisation of the school network, the President of Latvia said that the reform should finally lead to a situation where the number of schools is optimal and they provide an equally high level of education. The President of Latvia and the minister also discussed the success of municipalities in the process of organising the school network.
Minister Muižniece informed that the transition to education in the official language is under way and must be implemented for all forms as of 1 September 2025. The President of Latvia especially highlighted the issue of the shortage of Latvian language teachers, and the overall shortage of teachers in general with the required level of Latvian language skills. Minister Muižniece noted that since 1999 the requirement has been in place for all teachers to possess the highest level of knowledge of the official language. “There will be no more bending and derogating in this matter,” the Minister of Education and Science stated strictly.
President Levits and Minister Muižniece also discussed topical issues in higher education – the reform process, consolidation of higher education institutions, the work of university councils and the model for funding them.