3045 teachers needed courses to switch to teaching in the Latvian language

According to the Latvian Language Agency, in 2023, 3,045 teachers, including 1,216 preschool teachers, took advantage of support measures to switch to teaching in the state language, writes LETA.

1002 primary and secondary school teachers improved their professional competence. Teachers mostly chose to participate in two- to three-hour consultation webinars and 12-hour programs on working in linguistically diverse environments. There was less attendance at 36-hour programs, including competency-based learning approaches for transition to state language education, support system development, and the educational needs of today’s students.

Preschool teachers, on the contrary, attended more eight-hour programs for working in linguistically heterogeneous environments, as well as courses on methods of teaching the Latvian language in preschool institutions and improving the language skills of teachers. In contrast, the 24-hour student support program in the context of inclusive education was less well attended.

827 primary school teachers also benefited from support measures. They showed greater interest in seminars on the implementation of educational materials and three-hour webinars-consultations. Less often they attended the methodological school “Mācīsim latviski” (Let’s teach in Latvian) and the 60-hour program to improve the professional competence of primary school teachers in the context of the transition to a unified education system.

This academic year, the general education programs of national schools in Latvia began a transition to teaching only in the Latvian language, first including grades 1, 4 and 7 in the reform.

Starting from the next school year, lessons will be taught only in Latvian in grades 2, 5 and 8, and from September 1, 2025 – in grades 3, 6 and 9.