For a third of the former national minority schools, the transition to Latvian as the language of instruction has become a stumbling block, as students cannot master the content of the curriculum in Latvian, writes Diena.
There are several reasons for this, one of which is the shortage of teachers for whom Latvian is their native language. A similar situation has arisen at Riga Secondary School No. 13, which this academic year is headed by Inna Burova. The revelations of former social studies teacher Edvarts Krusts that the transition to a unified school at Riga Secondary School No. 13 has not actually taken place sparked heated discussions in society. The school had previously been in the news regarding the director's election. Last year, five candidates competed for this position, and after interviews, two advanced to the next round: the then acting director Ieva Margarita Ozola and the deputy director of the Riga State Classical Gymnasium Inna Burova. Only one candidate advanced to the next round - Inna Burova. She was supposed to take this position last year, but due to loud objections from the school staff, inspections began in the municipality, and the process was prolonged. Ultimately, no violations were found, and Burova was confirmed in the position.
This caused discontent among the school staff (14 teachers or even more resigned) and discussions in political circles (Inna is the daughter of politician Oleg Burova). To discuss the situation at the school, Burova was invited to a meeting of the Riga City Council's Committee on Education, Culture, and Sports. When Riga City Council member Julia Stepanenko stated that, in her opinion, the atmosphere at the school was unfriendly since 14 teachers left, Burova replied that it was exactly the opposite - the atmosphere at the school is good. When asked which subject teachers had resigned and how many vacancies are currently open, she responded that most teachers work part-time.
