Government plan sets two-month deadline for education reforms

Latvia’s Ministry of Education and Science must begin major changes to the education system within two months, LSM reported. The government’s recently approved action plan calls for a review of the curriculum, a decision on the place of family health education in schools, improvements to assessment procedures and new requirements for education quality.

The plan raises questions about whether such work can realistically be launched within such a short period, particularly during the pre-election period.

Union calls deadline unrealistic

The Latvian Education and Science Workers’ Union urged the government not to rush its review of the general education curriculum developed under the School 2030 programme, which began to be introduced about six years ago.

Union chairwoman Inga Vanaga said the timeframe for starting a review of the broad curriculum was too short.

“When we saw this deadline, we realised that it was an impossible mission,” Vanaga said. She added that the union had identified elements of School 2030 that should be retained, improved or removed, and had proposed creating a working group to begin the process.

Minister says work will only begin

Education and Science Minister Ilze Indriksone of the National Alliance said the ministry was not expected to complete the work within two months, but to start it.

“The aim is to set the areas of work and the main topics, map their content, understand the significant changes that are needed and begin this work,” Indriksone said.

She said several tasks were planned for completion by October, after which the work would continue. The ministry is preparing a conceptual report on the issue for the government.

Zane Oliņa, one of the developers of the education content and now head of the Professional Support Department at the Ogres Municipality Education Administration, said the education content remained overloaded.