Students will be able to opt out of learning Russian as a second foreign language, according to the final reading adopted by the Saeima on Thursday, May 9 amendments to the Law on Education. If the student refuses to learn the Russian language by June 21 of this year, he will be able to learn another foreign language from the new school year.
4th-8th grade students who have given up on learning the Russian language this school year will be able to be transferred to the next grade without evaluation in the subject of the second foreign language. On the other hand, for those who will finish the 9th grade this year, the grade obtained from the average grade obtained in this subject in the previous school years will be indicated in the primary education transcript.
The student’s parents will be able to refuse to learn the Russian language in writing, and the head of the educational institution will have to inform the founder of the institution about it, who will have to provide an opportunity to learn another foreign language.
The goal is to implement the transition to the second foreign language in schools in one of the official languages of the European Union, the authors of the draft law emphasize. After the war started by Russia in Ukraine, the society’s attitude towards Russia as a whole has also changed, including the desire to learn the Russian language, as evidenced by the submissions of parents to the Ministry of Education and Science and schools with an appeal to provide one of the languages of the European Union as a second foreign language in schools.
Until now, as a second foreign language in Latvian educational institutions, Russian was most often learned, followed by German and English, the annotation says.
In order to ensure the possibility of offering one of the languages of the European Union as a second foreign language, schools will also be able to conclude a mutual agreement with another school on the implementation of subjects.
On the other hand, for students who until 2025/2026 will have started learning Russian as a second foreign language for the school year, it will be possible to continue it until the end of the 9th grade, but no longer than until the end of 2029/2030.
Also, the amendments to the law envisage, among other things, strengthening the fact that the education of national defense is included in secondary education programs. It will be possible to implement it outside of the lesson load set for the learners, and no grade will be given for its learning – the learning achievement will be evaluated descriptively, determining the level of learning.
Amendments to the Education Law will enter into force the day after their announcement.
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