This academic year, absolutely all students are learning only in Latvian, and the final stage of the transition to education solely in the state language will be completed in the spring, with responsible authorities acknowledging that some schools are still facing difficulties with this, public media reports.
At a major conference held on Friday, schools and local governments shared their experiences from a special cooperation program between Latvian schools and former national minority schools, whose experiences can help other schools as well. The lesson learned during the transition is that a Latvian environment is crucial for successful language acquisition, meaning how often a child uses the Latvian language outside of school lessons.
"Children learn the Latvian language in lessons, and that is absolutely correct. However, what is also very important is the language environment surrounding them. This language environment is largely shaped by the children's place of residence and community. And sometimes there is no such community speaking Latvian around them."
There are events and activities that informally encourage the opportunity to speak Latvian and thereby improve its acquisition, said Zane Matesovica, head of the British Council's representation in Latvia. The pilot project of the British Council involved 28 educational institutions.
"And, of course, we fully understand that the transition to a unified school over three years has been a significant challenge for all of us. And this process does not stop here. It requires further actions, including the creation of a more Latvian environment in schools," stated Janis Paiders, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Science.
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