South Kurzeme to merge three preschools with primary schools

Three preschools in South Kurzeme Municipality will be merged with primary schools as the new school year begins, LSM reported. The municipality said the reorganisation is intended to reduce administrative costs, and the decision was made earlier this year.

Kazdanga, Pāvilosta and Rucava primary schools will be combined with local preschools. Children will continue their lessons and activities in the same premises as before.

Ginta Kampare, head of the South Kurzeme Education Department, said the institutions were small, with about 30 to 40 children in the preschools and fewer than 100 pupils in the schools. She said the merger would help save administrative resources.

The municipality’s initial decision called for a competition to appoint directors of the merged institutions. However, at the end of July, councillors decided not to hold the competition after receiving an opinion from the Legal Department that it would not comply with regulatory requirements.

The Pāvilosta parents’ council had previously expressed dissatisfaction with the current director’s work. The cancellation of the competition has raised concerns among residents about whether the municipality is interested in changing and improving the situation at the school.

“The feeling is sad. It was promised that there would be a competition for the position of head of the institution. Considering that during the school year the school lost five children who chose to continue their studies elsewhere, it really seemed that a new beginning was needed,” said Baiba Aulmane, head of the Pāvilosta Primary School parents’ council.

Sandra Stepiņa, chair of the parents’ council at Dzintariņš preschool, said parents had expected complaints about the school’s work to be assessed and audited in detail before deciding what would be best for the merged institution.

Parents’ council representatives said some parents were even considering not sending their children to Pāvilosta Primary School if the current management remained in place.

The South Kurzeme administration acknowledged that communication between the school management and parents needed to improve. After consulting the teachers’ union, the administration said it had received information that no signs had been identified indicating that the director was unsuitable for the position.