The number of students is sufficient to meet the minimum requirements; however, the school is planned to be closed. This unusual scenario may soon affect Baldone Primary School, which the Kekava municipality plans to merge with the local secondary school. The municipality explains this by the quality of education and forecasts for the future, indicating a significant decline in the number of students, reports TV3 News.
Baldone Primary School, along with the Music School, is located in one of the most notable buildings in the city — the historic building known as the White Palace of Baldone. The school has been here since the restoration of independence; however, many parents are concerned about its future, as the decision to close the primary school by merging it with the larger Baldone Secondary School is being made in great haste, reports TV3.
"The feelings are certainly not the best. We see that this decision is hasty and somewhat politically motivated, as no specific reasons are provided for closing this school. Parents feel a rather nihilistic attitude from the municipality, which is conducting these unnecessary changes. We have conducted calculations, studied all the laws, and see that the school meets all established requirements," said the chairman of the Baldone Primary School Council, Uldis Daube.
Currently, 83 students are enrolled in six classes at the primary school. The class sizes vary: there are 19 students in the first grade, while only four in the sixth. Parents note that it is precisely the small class sizes that led them to choose this school for their children, and they intend to fight for its future.
"Here, at Baldone Primary School, there are children who would not be able to study in a large school at all. That is why we want to preserve this school, as it is the only opportunity for these children to receive education here. It is very hard to see that the municipality is not interested in such small schools, that it does not care about the fate of the children," explains Indra Kundzinya, mother of a student at Baldone Primary School.
Parents also emphasize that closing the primary school would result in losing its main advantage — the fact that a general education school and a Music School, attended by about half of the students, are located in the same building.
"This is the main reason why children study here. They can learn a musical instrument right after classes at the primary school, and parents are confident and find it convenient to bring their child and leave them for the whole day, and pick them up in the evening," added Daube.
The Kekava municipality acknowledges that it is convenient for parents; however, it is also necessary to think about equal quality of education. The primary school currently cannot provide everything that the larger Baldone Secondary School offers. Moreover, demographic trends show that in recent years, the number of children in Baldone has decreased by almost 40%, and forecasts indicate that in the next three years, there will be so few first graders that they could all be accommodated in one secondary school.
"Nearby, just a kilometer away, is Baldone Secondary School, where students can study from first to twelfth grade, where there are sports, STEM programs, a full staff of support specialists working with special programs, and even such a detail as a full-time nurse. They have a complete package, which, unfortunately, cannot be provided in such a small school as Baldone Primary School," explains the chairwoman of the Kekava municipality, Viktoria Baire.
At the same time, if all students from the primary school are transferred to the secondary school, the issue may become the premises, as they are not limitless. There have already been suggestions that some classes could take place in the building where the Baldone Art School is currently located: during the day, school lessons would be held there, and in the evening, creative classes. The director of the art school says that such a scenario is hard to imagine.
"In our opinion, this is completely impossible. This is a painting workshop, where there are easels, paintings; our students work with professional paints, so there are solvents and various materials. There are visual aids here. It is impossible to conduct Latvian language or mathematics lessons in such premises. In fact, in such a case, not only the primary school would be destroyed, but also the art school," says the director of Baldone Art School, Talivaldis Muzikants.
The municipality notes that the issue of using the premises of the art school has not been finally resolved. Additionally, a transitional period is planned — legally, the schools will be merged, but education can continue in the current building for another year. Meanwhile, parents of Baldone Primary School are preparing to organize a picket on Thursday when the Kekava municipality will decide on its future, and they have sent a video appeal to the president of the state urging not to allow the reorganization of the school.
