220 051 children across 563 municipalities and 72 private schools start their school life on the 1st of September 2023. A total of 21 584 of them will enter 1st grade.
Data regarding precise numbers of students will be available after the 5th of September, after all the schools enter relevant data to the State Education Information System (VIIS).
25 986 teachers will be in charge of teaching children in municipal and private education institutions in the 2023/2024 school year, according to information from the Ministry of Education and Science.
The overall shortage of teachers is estimated at more than 3%.
At the end of August the biggest number of vacancies was in pre-school education institutions – 722. General education institutions have 661 vacant positions, special education institutions have 54. A total of eight vacant positions are available in vocational institutions.
The majority of vacant positions are in Riga (447 in kindergartens and 309 in schools). Daugavpils is next with 34 and 32 respectively. There are 23 vacant positions in kindergartens and 24 in schools in Jelgava, as well as 11 vacant positions in kindergartens and 39 in schools in Alūksne.
The shortage is the most severe for maths teachers – 69 vacant positions.
According to information from the Ministry of Education and Science, the number of vacant positions in subjects like English language, Latvian language and literature, computing, sports and health, design and technologies exceeds 20.
The 1st of September marks the fourth consecutive year of Teaching Staff Course. 89 young teachers who passed the selection process in spring this year and will start working at schools in parallel to their teaching studies at their chosen university.
In accordance with the government’s approves pay growth schedule for teachers, the hourly rate will be increased to EUR 8.50 or EUR 1 224 a month for a 36-hour work week. The lowest rate of pre-school teachers will increase by 15.8% or to EUR 1 240. The lowest monthly wage for teachers employed by vocational secondary education institutions for a 30-hour week will reach EUR 1 020.
Compared with the 1st of September 2022, the number of Ukrainian children registered in Latvia’s State Education Information System has increased by 748 children, reaching 3 434 children at the end of August.
According to information available to the Ministry of Education and Science, at the end of August 1 345 Ukrainian civilians were registered with pre-school education institutions, 2 034 were registered with various general education institutions, 308 were registered with sports schools, 77 – with vocational education institutions, and 273 with various universities.
There are also 53 teachers from Ukraine registered with Latvia’s State Education Information System.
Fewer secondary schools and state gymnasiums will open doors for students this year when compared with the year prior – while last year there were 238 municipal secondary schools and gymnasiums, their numbers dropped to 231 this year. The number of elementary schools is down as well – 36 in total, as opposed to 38 last year. 39 special education institutions will open their doors this year (42 last year).
School infrastructure modernisation projects will continue in Jēkabpils, Madona, Talsi and Bauska, as well as Riga and Kuldiga.
Also read: Shortage of teachers in Riga may create difficulties for kindergartens