Education system for minorities in Latvia

By

Arturs Beiers	Atis Gailis

In general, educational reform after the half-century of Soviet suppression is underway, but full implementation will take many years and extensive finances, presently unavailable in the state budget. And yet, in accordance with multiculturalism in education, schools for ethnic minorities in Latvia began to open in the renewed Latvia.

Latvian Government has announced, that aim of its policy is formation of united, integrated society in the country. One of the most important Government priorities in the process of society integration should be the strengthening of the educational infrastructure of the national minorities living in Latvia. However due to negligence and lack of finance, the administration of the act is affected.

Various western and private foundations have sought to help fill the current financial gaps in funding available for education, supporting a number of educational facilities and programmes - for example, the Stockholm School of Economics, which opened in 1994.

On 29 October 1998 Saeima (parliament) passed a new Law on Education. State officials announce the Law on Education to be one of the main steps in the revival of minority languages and strengthening the positions of Latvian. But the truth is that it sets the stage for reducing the scope of education in minority languages.

The Law states that, in state and municipal-run education institutions, education was to be acquired in the state language, i.e., in Latvian. In addition to that, education could be acquired in another language in those private education institutions and in state and municipal education institutions in which minority education programs are implemented. However, the contents of "minority education programs" was not specified by the law, but was to be determined by secondary legislation or regulations. That is not done yet.

According to minority rights there should be possibility for minorities to get education in their mother language. Everyone should have possibility to fulfill his/her rights on equal terms. Including rights to education. Also Article 112 of the Satversme (Constitution of Latvia) stipulates the right of every citizen to education. But the problem is that a big part of minority doesn’t speak Latvian. No doubt that closing of Russian schools doesn’t promote them equal rights to education.

After the Language Law was adopted in Latvia, several schools for national groups were opened, including Polish, Estonian, Lithuanian and Jewish schools, and Sunday schools for some 20 different ethnic groups where children and adults learn Livonian, Polish, Belarussian, Azerbaijan, Tatar, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, German, Georgian, Uzbek, Jewish, Armenian and Japanese language and culture.

In accordance with the Law "On Unrestricted Development and the Right to Cultural Autonomy of Latvia's Nationalities and Ethnic Groups" the state furthers the creation of appropriate financial conditions for the development of education, language and culture of the national and ethnic groups living in Latvia.

But reality is different than theory. Laws accepted and working groups created, but how they work in reality and how they are implement, that’s another question. Latvia still have a lot to do and we still have immense problems.

In the 1997 - 98 academic year 145 schools were functioning in Riga (for more detailed information look at enclosure nr.1). As it can be seen in enclosure, Russian schools are even more in Latvia than Latvian schools are, but in the same time, more and more children and their parents show their interest in receiving education in the Latvian language lately.

These schools with their close cooperation with their ethnic homelands, religious communities and national communities in third countries, along with increasing numbers of general schools where the language of instruction is now Latvian, play a significant role in social integration and cultural development in Latvia. Apart from education at primary and secondary levels, Latvia have several institutions of higher and very specialized education.

Higher education in the state higher educational establishments can be received only in Latvian. However, in private higher educational establishments, like the Baltic Russians Institute (studies are in the Russian language), and in other educational establishments one can receive education in the Latvian, English and Russian languages. The Latvian Aviation University, which is sponsored from the state budget, provides studies in the Latvian, English and Russian languages, in the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga study programme is in English.

We think that the education should begin in the pre-school level. Statistics show, that children who have attended pre-school establishments are better prepared for independent work, they can better integrate socially and they work in a teams more effectively. In addition, pre-schools provide health services for children. So, it means that they are integrated in society already, when they are children.

However, there are a lot of problems to realise educational system, that would be good enough for minorities living in Latvia. In assistance, there are a lack of money for buying books, that are needed for studying. A lot of books students are learning from are written still in Soviet Union time. Thus it means that information is meaning less, it has no value, as it would be needed. It's also lack of money for teaching staff as well, and it means that teaching staff is not motivated to work with full capacity. Of course it also influence the quality of teaching.

It will be necessary to improve access to pre-school establishments by repairing closed pre-school establishments, building and adjusting for this purpose other buildings. There is need to open pre-school education advisory centres in regions where it is impossible to form necessary pre-school establishments, offering advice for parents in psychology and medicine relevant to children.

Of course, there should be done much more, but it is the matter of time. The most important is collaboration between minorities and authorities in Latvia, as well in other states.

Enclosure nr.1 Schools in Latvia (1997-98 academic year):

64 Latvian schools
70 Russian schools
8 bilingual schools
2 Polish schools
Ukrainian schools
Estonian school
Jewish school
Lithuanian school

Totally 145