The Saeima on Wednesday adopted amendments to the Education Law and the Vocational Education Law, which, for the sake of savings, provide for the dissolution of the Higher Education Council (SVO) from September next year, LETA reports.
The Ministry of Education and Science (MES) justified its proposal by stating that the main functions of the Higher Education Council (SVO) will lose relevance with the introduction of the institutional funding model. The functions of the council may be transferred to the Quality of Education Commission, the Human Capital Development Council, the Latvian Scientific Council, and the universities themselves.
It is expected that the dissolution of the SVO will save €131,706 per year.
The chairperson of the SVO, Andris Teikmanis, as well as the organizations that are part of the council, have previously expressed skepticism about the potential benefits of its dissolution.
Earlier, the Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Workers (LPRON / LIZDA) called the proposed amendments hasty, pointing out that the parties involved in the discussions have not yet reached a unified vision regarding the dissolution of the SVO and the transfer of its functions.
Like other organizations within the council, LPRON expressed support for reviewing the functions of the SVO to eliminate duplicative actions and strengthen the role of the council in the development of higher education, rather than its dissolution. The union emphasized the importance of cooperation among SVO partners, noting that it includes representatives from various institutions, which helps address current issues in higher education.
