"On the Implementation of the Principle of a Unified School," a document with such a significant title has emerged from the depths of the Ministry of Education and Science, dedicated to the Latvianization of the public education system.
The transition to education solely in Latvian was necessary "in the extended target group and in various institutional conditions," from preschool to 8th grade. Overall, this affected 8,299 students, including 289 in private institutions.
In the last academic year, municipalities and private educational institutions received 3,440,931.12 euros from the Ministry of Education and Science for language reforms, of which 2,670,520.17 euros, or 78% of the allocated funding, was spent.
With Gradual Progress
The report states that "the transition to education in the Latvian language is generally being carried out lawfully and with gradual progress: in about two-thirds of educational institutions, the transition is proceeding in accordance with the set goals, while about one-third of educational institutions need improvements."
To facilitate the transition, most educational institutions engaged teaching assistants, speech therapists, and teachers for extended day groups, whose activities are "generally assessed positively." According to the quality assessment of educational institutions, 30.7% received a rating of "very good," 55.7% – "good," and 13.6% – "needs improvement." No ratings of "outstanding" or "insufficient" were identified...
The most successful transition, the Ministry of Education and Science report indicates, is ensured by "the Latvian environment in the educational institution, when there is a sufficiently large number of teachers and learners whose native language is Latvian." It remains only to find and surround each non-Latvian with a sufficient number of Latvians. Alongside this, "there is a noticeable trend that an increasing number of learners from former minority educational institutions continue their studies in Latvian-language educational institutions."
But What Is the Reality?
"However, the analysis of the results of state assessment tests and the information provided by vocational education institutions indicate a discrepancy between the achieved grades and the actual Latvian language skills of learners, which affects the continuity of education and the ability of youth to successfully continue their education."
That is, the fact of passing the exam and obtaining a language certificate does not guarantee anything... What does the mayor dislike?
"The Latvian environment," the Ministry of Education and Science postulates, "includes not only the lessons of the languages of instruction but also everyday communication practices among learners, professional communication among teachers, the digital environment, and collaboration with parents." In other words, a total transition to the state language in all areas. Although, as it turns out – the Constitutional Court has granted national minorities the great right to speak in their native language during breaks... Against this backdrop, the activity of Riga's Vice Mayor Vilnis Kirsis, who is preparing a list of underperforming schools from former national minorities, is quite interesting. The deputy chair of the capital's municipality, by the way, is not even a member of the relevant committee of the Duma. And in the list, as they say in the corridors of the municipality – just the remaining school directors with Russian surnames...
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