Latvia plans science exam and changes to ninth-grade certificates

Latvia plans to introduce a centralised science examination and change the requirements for obtaining a ninth-grade certificate from September 1, LSM reported. Education and Science Minister Ilze Indriksone of the National Alliance said the proposals would also allow pupils to retake at least one assessment in each subject.

The planned changes to the education standard still require government approval.

The centralised science examination has reportedly been postponed for eight years. Indriksone said it was needed to provide a clear overview of education quality across the system and individual schools, as well as to inform decisions about pupils’ future education.

Under the proposed changes, ninth-grade pupils would need passing annual grades in their subjects to receive a certificate. The results of centralised examinations would no longer be taken into account when issuing the certificate.

Indriksone said ninth-grade examinations should serve as an entry point to the next stage of education, rather than a threshold preventing pupils from receiving their certificate. Schools would instead consider centralised examination results when pupils choose their next educational path.

The minister said the examinations were not a punishment but a means of making choices about the next stage of a pupil’s education.

The plans also state that higher-level examinations would not be mandatory, although pupils would still be able to take them. Indriksone said an assessment of the Skola 2030 education reform had shown that its results were less positive than hoped, citing insufficient support and learning materials.