Daugavpils municipality has asked state institutions to cease state language tests for local teachers in the middle of the school years, because the tests may interfere with school programmes, said Mayor of Daugavpils Andrejs Elksniņš at a press-conference on Tuesday.
He claimed that the responsible authorities have violated the previous agreement on official language tests for teachers at the beginning or end of the school year. Elksniņš believes that the official language tests currently implemented by the State Language Center are a way to “screw” with teachers.
In Daugavpils, 500 teachers are tested by the VVC for their knowledge of the state language, about 25% to 30% of them have already been tested once.
Testing the state language skills of teachers in the middle of the school year, however, can create problems for schools to implement education programmes.
The head of Daugavpils Education Office Marina Isupova explained that VVC specialists are remotely interviewing teachers in Latvian about the work environment and responsibilities in seven educational institutions in Daugavpils, where the transition to learning in Latvian is taking place.
Looking at the current situation, Isupova stated that teachers whose “nerves are wound up enough to snap” leave and feel offended by the routine examinations.
She stressed, however, that there is no mass departure of teachers observed. Moreover, no teacher has been suspended due to insufficient knowledge of the official language, so far.
Elksniņš added that the VVC tests state language skills not only for Daugavpils teachers, but also for teachers in Riga, Liepaja and Rezekne.
The request has been sent to the Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Justice and VVC.