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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
Legislation and official policy documents

Latvia

15.Legislation and official policy documents

Last update: 27 November 2023

Laws

Satversme / The Constitution (1922)

Latvia is a democratic, parliamentary republic and the structure, authority and functioning of the public institutions of Latvia are set in the Constitution (Satversme) adopted on 1922. Satversme prescribes that everyone has the right to education. The State has to ensure that everyone may acquire integrated primary and lower secondary education (pamatizglītība) without charge. Pamatizglītība is defined by the constitution to be compulsory.

Bērnu tiesību aizsardzības likums / Protection of the Rights of the Child Law (1998)

The Protection of the Rights of the Child Law determines equal rights and possibilities of all children to acquire education according to their personal abilities. A child has the right to participate in self-administration in the fields of education, culture and sports, says the Law, and schools implementing general educational programmes have to ensure that each child has the opportunity to learn about the rights and duties of the child.

Izglītības likums / Education Law (1999)

The goal of the Education Law is to provide a possibility for every resident of Latvia to develop ones mental and physical potential, to become an independent personality, the member of the democratic state and society of Latvia. After Latvia regained independence, the Education Law was adopted in 1991, and since then radical reforms in all levels of education have been taking place. The Law regulates the whole system of education of all types and levels, determines the rights and duties of the state, local governments, public organizations, professional associations, individuals, educational institutions, parents and students, as well as types of educational institutions.

Vispārējās izglītības likums / General Education Law (1999)

The Law stipulates the organisational and functional principles of general (pre-school, integrated primary and lower secondary (pamatizglītība) and upper secondary) education; regulates rights and obligations of institutions and persons involved in general education.   

Profesionālās izglītības likums / Vocational Education Law (1999)

The Law sets out the principles for organising, implementing and awarding qualifications both for initial and continuous vocational education; states the division of tasks and competences and the relationship between employers, teachers and trainees; recognises an active role for social partners in vocational education; states the different pathways for pursuing vocational education, the structure of programmes and the funding principles.

Augstskolu likums / Law on Institutions of Higher Education (1995)

The Law states the cooperation between higher education institutions and state institutions to harmonize autonomy of higher education institutions with interests of society and state; regulates legal basis of higher education institutions and colleges, sets the autonomy of higher education institutions. The Law linked education system of Latvia with European higher education systems.  

Likums par budžetu un finanšu vadību / Law on Budget and Financial Management  (1994)

This Law determines the procedures for the formulation, approval and implementation of the State budget and self-government budgets, and responsibilities in the budget process. The Law describes also financial management which applies to budgetary funds of the State budget and self-government budgets.

Par maternitātes un slimības apdrošināšanu / Law on Maternity and Sickness Insurance  (1998)

This Law regulates the procedures for granting, calculation and disbursement of State social insurance benefits related to Early Childhood Care, namely, maternity benefit, paternity benefit and parents’ benefit.

Pašvaldību likums / Law on Local Governments (2023)

The Law sets out the general provisions and economic basis for the activities of the local governments of Latvia, the competence of local governments, the rights and responsibilities of city or municipality councils and their institutions.

Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers

There are various regulations issued by the Cabinet of Ministers regulate the enacting of laws. Among them:

Funding of Education

The Regulation defines minimum salary rate for general, vocational and higher education teachers and heads of institutions. The Regulation describes the system of remuneration and the system of additional payments for pedagogues.

The Regulations prescribe the minimum amount of stipends (study grants) and the procedures for the receipt of stipends for students of higher education programmes who have been admitted on the basis of competition procedures and who study in the state-subsidised places; students of vocational education programmes who have been admitted in conformity with the number of state-subsidised or local government-subsidised places, except persons in imprisonment.

Regulation sets general education programme costs minimum per one student (per year).

Regulation sets pre-school education programme costs minimum per one student.

Organisation and content of Education

This Regulation prescribes the procedures for enrolment of students in and discharge from general educational institutions (with the exception of boarding schools and special educational institutions) and the mandatory requirements for moving them up into the next grade.

Regulations define the main aim and general tasks of pre-school education. Regulations also describe the pedagogical process of pre-school education, define the content and learning outcomes of pre-school education, and describe how the evaluation process is organized.
 

These Regulations describe guidelines for pre-primary education and samples of respective educational programmes.

 

The Regulation prescribes the professional qualification and safety requirements in providing child supervision services and the procedures for registration of service providers in the Register of Providers of Child Supervision Services.

These regulations set the curricula for schools providing integrated primay and lower-secondary (i.e. compulsory) education. Regulations determine general aims of schooling, the key objectives and tasks of general education programs, the minimum content, including the compulsory subjects and standards, as well as student learning assessment principles and procedures and mandatory national tests.
 

These Regulations prescribe the national integrated primary and lower-secondary education standard, which includes samples of integrated primary and lower-secondary education programmes conforming to the requirements of this standard, and the names of the fields of integrated primary and lower-secondary education.

These regulations set the curricula for schools providing upper-secondary education. Regulations determine general aims, the key objectives and tasks of general upper-secondary education programs, the minimum content, including the compulsory subjects and standards, as well as student learning assessment principles and procedures and mandatory national tests.

Renewed regulation on upper-secondary education curricula.

These regulations set the curricula for schools providing vocational upper-secondary education. Regulations determine general aims, the key objectives and tasks of vocational upper-secondary education programs, the minimum content, including the compulsory subjects and standards, as well as student learning assessment principles and procedures and mandatory national tests.

Renewed regulation on vocational upper-secondary education curricula.

The regulation describes submission of applications about the admission of a child to grade 1st in Riga City municipality's schools implementing general education programmes.

 

Quality Assurance and Evaluation

The new regulation on accreditation of education institutions and programmes, and procedure for evaluation of heads of education institutions refers to quality assurance indicators in vocational education and training (EQAVET). The regulation also responds to some OECD recommendations for improvement of education system and describes evaluation procedure of school heads’ professional activity.

National Testing

Regulations prescribe the content and the procedure of centralized examinations in accredited education programs at the end of compulsory basic education (ntegrated primary and lower-secondary education) and upper-secondary schooling.

Regulations prescribe the procedure of final exams in accredited education programmes at the end of compulsory basic education (integrated primary and lower-secondary education) and upper-secondary schooling, these regulations do not apply on centralized examinations.

The new regulation sets the procedure how students can substitute their final language examination at general upper-secondary level with a test provided by certified international assessment providers. The regulation sets the list of the certified institutions which are allowed to be a substitute of the national centralised language examination at general upper-secondary education level, and the tests they administer.

Others

The Regulation defines requirements for necessary education and professional qualifications for teachers working at pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary education level.

The Regulation ensures flexibility in higher education provision for adult students, allowing them to fulfil a study programme by recognising their prior experience from learning or professional life.

This Regulation prescribes the procedures by which a minor asylum has to be provided with opportunities for acquiring education.

The Regulation describes necessary hygiene and safety requirements for general and vocational schools. Head of education institution is responsible that a school complies with the requirements. Compliance with the requirements is monitored by the Health Inspectorate and the Food and Veterinary Service.

The Regulation prescribes infectious diseases against which mandatory vaccination shall be performed, the range of persons to be vaccinated (including persons employed in specific occupations or belonging to increased risk groups) and vaccination procedures. The Regulation describes duties of school head in regard to vaccination of students.

Guidelines

Among them:

Education Development Guidelines 2021-2027 is a medium-term policy planning document that defines a unified national policy and development strategy in education. The guidelines specify the overarching goal and goals of the education policy, the main directions of action and tasks for achieving the set goals, the results of the policy and performance indicators. The overarching goal of the educational development guidelines for 2021-2027 is to provide quality education opportunities to all residents of Latvia in order to promote the development and realization of their potential throughout life and to build their ability to change and responsibly manage the constant changes in society and the economy.

Education Development Guidelines 2014 – 2020 sets goals for the development of the whole education system and courses of action for their implementation, as well as the activity and political results, and performance indicators. The main aim of the guidelines is to provide qualitative and inclusive education for personal development and welfare, and sustainable growth of the state.

The objective of the Guidelines is to ensure further implementation of the structural reforms of the vocational education system, optimising the number and layout of VEIs in regions and performing the differentiation of VEIs, to establish a modern and logistical support of vocational education corresponding to contemporary requirements, to promote more efficient use of all types of resources, improving the quality and accessibility of vocational education.

The main aim of the guidelines is to ensure the sustainability of Latvian language, its linguistic quality and competitiveness in the local and the world market, as well as its impact on Latvian cultural environment. The document consists of four main lines of action - the legal status of the state language strengthening the national language education policy of the Latvian language research and development, and public participation in the national language policy and the development of the Latvian language.​