In order to improve children's knowledge of the Latvian language, it is necessary to create a Latvian-speaking environment in schools and actively work with parents. This was stated by the head of the general education schools department of the Riga Education Administration, Anita Peterkopa.
According to Peterkopa, in many schools, the creation of a Latvian language environment is limited to celebrating Latvian holidays and placing signs in the Latvian language.
However, this is not enough, the official stated. It is also insufficient that teachers speak to children in Latvian during lessons if, during breaks, children communicate with each other in Russian.
She emphasized that children need to be encouraged to use the Latvian language during breaks, as this will help improve their language skills.
Peterkopa mentioned that various motivating activities are already being implemented in some schools. For example, special days are introduced when all communication in the school throughout the day occurs exclusively in the Latvian language.
Another important factor for children learning the Latvian language, the official noted, is working with parents. "The position of parents sometimes becomes a decisive factor for the implementation of a unified school in Riga," she pointed out.
She believes that the differences between the former national minority schools and schools with Latvian as the language of instruction will disappear when students who started their education in the first grades in Latvian three years ago graduate from the ninth grade.
