Parents oppose plan to close Bērzgale school

Parents and residents are opposing a proposal to close Bērzgale Basic School in Rēzekne Municipality, where about 150,000 euros a year is needed to keep it operating, LSM reported.

The municipality has begun discussions with parents about the school’s funding shortfall and believes it should be closed. Bērzgale Basic School is a structural unit of Nautrēni Secondary School, 12 kilometres away. It has 46 pupils this school year.

At a meeting with parents, the municipality’s education and sports department head, Skaidrīte Strode, said the new school funding and teacher pay model was disadvantageous for structural units. Funding for a class is based on the number of pupils, she explained, and the allocation for first-grade classes at Nautrēni and Bērzgale must be shared.

The municipality says pupils could attend other nearby schools. Parents disagree, saying schools in neighbouring parishes have already closed and that travelling to Nautrēni would make it difficult for children to take part in extracurricular activities.

Residents gathered outside the school with posters in support of keeping it open. Police arrived because the protest had not been authorised, and the crowd dispersed soon afterwards.