Until the end of February 2018, the ruling coalition intends to finally determine the conditions for the transition of the general education system to the Latvian language. This must be done so that the parties will not be able to use this discussion in their favor during their election campaigns. Prime Minister Maris Kuchinskis (The Union of Greens and Peasants) reported that news on Latvian TV in the program “Morning Panorama”.
According to Kuchinskis’s party members “there is no doubt that education in Latvia should be received in the state language”, because only people with a good knowledge of the language will be able to compete in the labor market. Also, the proposal of VL-TB / DNNL on amendments to the law on education was discussed, and it offered to introduce a norm to conduct classes in state and municipal schools only in the Latvian language.
Also a concept was provided by Karlis Shadurskis, who stated that from 2020/2021 academic year all general subjects in secondary schools were planned to be taught only in Latvian. Within a month the Minister of Education and Science Karlis Shadurskis should prepare an information message and potential amendments to the laws that will be discussed.
Kuchinskis recalled that the government’s declaration envisaged the preparation of principles for the gradual transfer of education into the state language. The co-chairman of VL-TB / DNNL, Raivis Dzintars, said that the two proposals did not contradict each other, but Shadurskis was invited to the meeting of the National Unity faction on October 25.
The party should be convinced that its goal will be fixed by the law, then VL-TB / DNNL will not submit its bill. At the same time R.Dzintars added that if the idea of education in the Latvian language was not clearly and unambiguously included in the concept of the Ministry of Education and Science (MES), VL-TB / DNNL would come up with its legislative initiative. The politician believed that the transition had to happen at all levels, that is, not only in secondary schools.
