Latvian Parliament passes bill prohibiting high schools from teaching in languages of national minorities
The amendments to the Latvian Law on Education, involving the abolition of bilingual education in schools, have undergone the third and final reading in the Saeima or Latvian Parliament.
According to Delfi news portal, 58 deputies voted in favor of the bill while 18 voted against it. It must now be approved by the President.
The plans of the Ministry of Education and Science indicated that transferring to a new model of education will begin in the 2019-2020 academic year and will be completed in 2021-2022.
Preschool education should remain bilingual. From 1st to 6th grades, 50% of subjects will be taught in Latvian language. From 7th to 9th grades, 80% of the educational process will be held in the state language. From 10th to 12th grade classes will only be taught in the national language. The only exception is the lessons where the minorities’ representatives study their native language and literature.
According to the information of the Latvian Ministry of Education, 3.6 million euros will be allocated for this reform in 2018-2020.