Currently, Latvian schoolchildren learn English as their first foreign language from the beginning of school, but following finishing primary school they begin to learn a second foreign language. In theory, children can study French, German and other languages as a second foreign language, but in practice they most often teach Russian, since there are not enough teachers of other languages in schools.
According to the Ministry of Education and Science (MES), in almost half of Latvian schools Russian is studied as a second foreign language. In some educational institutions, there is no alternative to studying the Russian language.
The changes proposed by the Ministry of Education and Research provide that, from the 2026/2027 academic year, schools should be required to gradually offer one of the official languages of member states of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA) as a second foreign language at foundation level education, or a foreign language, the acquisition of which is regulated by intergovernmental agreements in the field of education. The Russian language is not among such languages.
The project provides for a gradual transition by allocating more hours per week to foreign language learning in 5th grade than is currently the case in 4th grade. In the 2027/2028 academic year, mastery of a second foreign language should be implemented in grades 5 and 6, in the 2028/2029 academic year – in grades 5, 6 and 7, in the 2029/2030 academic year – in grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 , and in the 2030/2031 academic year – at the entire level of basic school (grades 5-9).
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2024-04-26 19:16:30
