The scholarship would be applicable to students enrolled in the study program who started their studies from July of this year. Unlike scholarships for educators in priority fields, the same conditions will not be imposed for awarding this scholarship, as students are employed in educational institutions during the study program.
With the draft regulations, the Ministry of Education and Culture hopes to ensure the sustained interest of current and potential students in the work environment-based second-level professional higher education study program “Teacher”, promoting the influx of qualified pedagogues into the Latvian education system.
The Ministry draws attention to the fact that in the education system of Latvia there is a constant formation of vacancies, and in several educational institutions there are gaps in the learning of the educational program. At the same time, the possibilities to fill vacant jobs are limited, because it is possible to work as a pedagogue if one has a pedagogical education or a person acquires a pedagogical education that meets the professional qualification requirements set by the Cabinet of Ministers. In addition, not every person with a higher pedagogical education has the right to teach any subject.
Until now, students of the second-level professional higher education study program were granted scholarships of up to 280 euros per month. At the same time, taking into account that the students work in educational institutions during their studies, the size of their scholarships should be the same as the scholarships of teachers of priority fields in bachelor’s programs, or 300 euros per month, the ministry is convinced.
