Roberts Kilis, Minister for Education and Science

Beginning and end time of the next school year will not be changed, Minister for Education and Science Roberts Kilis said on Tuesday, February 7.

Question about length of the 2013/2014 school year, in turn, is not yet to be reviewed.

It was already reported that when discussing upon reforms in education Kilis proposed prolongation already of the next school year, but starting from 2013/2014 school year such changes are definitely to be implemented.

The Minister still emphasized that it will be possible to implement such changes only if the parties involved – parents, teachers – will support them.

The Ministry had undertaken to assess pupils’ load during the school year until March next year. The Minister explained that it has to be clarified in order to decide upon prolongation of the school year, because in Latvia pupils learn 169 days a year, while in other countries length of the school year is from 181 to 184 days.

Until the middle of this month the Ministry has to draw up Cabinet regulations stating beginning and end date of the school year. The Minister told that lawyers will find out whether it is possible to set only the beginning date of the school year and postpone the decision upon the end date of the school year until March of the next year when pupils’ load will have been assessed.

If beginning and end dates of the school year will have to be set at the same time, the 2012/2013 school year will start on September 3 and end in the end of May. «In the case it will be possible to set end date of the school year after the assessment of the pupils’ load, then, maybe, already in 2013 the school year will be prolonged, for example, until Midsummer Day,» the Minister explained. However, starting from the  2013/2014 school year, it will definitely be prolonged. Then it will start in August and end before Midsummer Day, the Minister said.

Ref: 103.110.110.258