Around 54,000 secondary school students in Latvia passed and around 1,000 failed centralised exams in 2023, LETA reports. Exam results were the poorest in mathematics, with an average student performance of 35%, which was the lowest in all exams and 3.4% below the results in 2022. Average scores in Latvian language exams were better than…
Due to a budgeting mistake, Estonia’s Ministry of Education and Research will have insufficient funds to finance the transition to Estonian-language education in Russian-language schools in 2024 and beyond, ERR reports. The former government allocated the same amount of funds (EUR 41mn) for switching to Estonian-language tuition for each year in 2024-2026 as for September-December…
Latvia’s new president, Edgars Rinkevics, held his inauguration speech in the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, outlining his vision of a “strong, modern, just, and safe” Latvia, on 8 July 2023, LSM reports. The President noted that Latvia was one, yet not homogenous, and stressed that the rights of every person must be protected. Latvia’s biggest…
Latvia is likely to have a new three-party coalition government consisting of Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins’s New Unity and two current opposition parties, the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) and the Progressives, in August 2023, Ilona Berzina writes for Baltic News Network. Previously, Karins had assured that New Unity would not cooperate with ZZS…
Latvia’s outgoing president, Egils Levits, delivered his departure speech on 7 July 2023, LSM reports. He thanked the people of Latvia for giving him the opportunity to serve for four years as their president. Levits said that his role was to work for a Latvian Latvia without "remnants of Soviet occupation." The President said that…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has appointed Gintautas Jakstas as the country’s new Minister of Education, Science, and Sport, ELTA reports. Prior to his appointment, Jakstas was Deputy Minister of Education. The previous Education Minister, Jurgita Siugzdiniene, resigned after an expense scandal. Following the resignation, Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska served as acting Minister of Education.
Car owners in Estonia face increasing pressure and deserve fair treatment, Simmo Saar, head of the newly-established Estonian Car Owners Association (EAOL), stated, ERR reports. The new association aims to represent the rights and interests of car owners, including in regard to taxation, highway planning, traffic law, penal policy, and traffic education. EAOL opposes the…
The Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees (LIZDA) will ask Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins to adopt urgent solutions to implement the agreement reached with the Ministry of Education and Science after a recent teacher strike, LETA reports. Earlier, LIZDA demanded that Education Minister Anda Caksa resign, which the minister refused to do, insisting…
Latvia’s Education Minister Anda Čakša (New Unity) refused to resign as demanded by the Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees (LIZDA), LSM reports. She insisted that her actions as minister thus far had provided no grounds for such a demand. Čakša recognised the need to address the budgetary allocation for teacher salaries during…