The transition period is calculated for three years, so that schools can ensure the availability of teachers of a second foreign language.

From the 2026-2027 academic year, the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia will introduce a procedure under which the second foreign language in all schools can be only one of the languages ​​of the EU member states or a foreign language, the study of which is regulated by intergovernmental agreements in the field of education.

As the Delfi portal reports, this means that Russian will no longer be taught as a second foreign language in schools, as it is not an official language of the EU and does not appear in relevant international treaties.

The Ministry of Education believes that such changes will contribute to the full inclusion of young people in the educational space of Europe, will contribute to the study of official languages ​​of the EU, which will provide wider employment opportunities both in the EU and beyond.

Minister of Education and Science Anita Muizniece assured that the issue of a second foreign language was discussed with the country’s president Egils Levits, in the conversation they emphasized the need to ensure the study of any of the official languages ​​of the EU in all schools.

“This is the moment when, more than ever, we need to strengthen the main value of Latvia – the national language and a strong Latvia in the common family of the European Union,” Muizniece said.

In the country’s schools, the first foreign language is now being studied in the first grade. It must be one of the official languages ​​of the EU, and most often it is English. A second foreign language in educational institutions that implement educational programs in the Latvian language begins to be studied in the fourth grade.

Normative acts do not indicate which foreign language – for example, French, Russian or German, the school can offer to study as a foreign language. The choice is left to the educational institution, which makes it based on development goals in cooperation with the school board. The Ministry notes that a major role in choosing a second foreign language is played by the wishes of parents and students themselves, as well as the presence of qualified teachers.

As the 2021 survey showed, almost half of Latvian schools do not offer a choice. Russian is the second foreign language in more than 300 schools.

The Ministry of Education claims that now due to the significant increase in demand for EU languages, as well as taking into account the decline in the importance and use of the Russian language, applications are received from parents calling for the teaching of one of the EU languages ​​as a second foreign language in schools.

In order to promote the study of official EU languages, the Ministry of Education and Science will develop amendments to the standard of basic education, which will determine that all schools must provide one of the EU languages ​​or a foreign language, the study of which is regulated by concluded intergovernmental agreements in the field of education as a second foreign language.

The transition period is planned for three years, so that schools can ensure the availability of teachers of a second foreign language – both by attracting new teachers and by providing the opportunity for existing teachers to undergo retraining and obtain the right to teach another subject. At the same time, the ministry started negotiations with the Latvian university to discuss the issue of foreign language teacher training and teacher retraining.

Russian language in Latvia

At the beginning of this year, 1,630,747 citizens lived in Latvia. As of 2022, Latvia and neighboring Estonia are home to the largest percentage of the Russian ethnic minority (in Latvia – 24.22%, in Estonia – 23.67% of the total population), among all countries in the world.

The state language in Latvia is Latvian. Russian is also a common language of everyday communication.

Latvian aid to Ukraine

Latvia has supported Ukraine since the beginning of the war. The country not only provides weapons and financial aid, but also provides political support in the international arena.

Thus, in August, Latvia handed over helicopters to Ukraine.

It also stopped issuing visas to Russians and recognized the Russian Federation as a sponsor of terrorism.

In addition, Latvia submitted a petition to the European Court of Human Rights for permission to participate in the consideration of the international case “Ukraine v. Russia” as a third party.