Dobele, 2011

EDUCATION SYSTEM

LATVIA

Educational System in Latvia

20+Academic higher

education (Bachelor's degree)

Professional higher education

(Bachelor's degree)

Professional higher education

College education

19 Vocational secondary education

Follow-up courses  

18 General secondary education

Vocational education and

training

 17 Vocational basic

education and training

16

15

Basic education

14

 

131211109876

Pre-school education54

Kindergarten32

Governance of the Education System

Three administration levels:•National:

• The Parliament (Saeima),and the Cabinet of Ministers - the main decision-making bodies at a national level;

• The Ministry of Education and Science - education policy-making institution that sets educational standards along with the teacher training content and procedures;

•Municipal:• Municipality Council and Education Board – responsibility for

educational process and quality assurance in the municipality in accordance with legislation;

•Institutional:• Kindergartens, schools – implementation of educational process.

Pre-school Education

2-5 year old children – parents free choise to educate children at home or kindergarten;

5-7 year old children have to participate in pre-school programmes provided by general education establishments or kindergartens as a part of the compulsory basic education.

Basic Education

9-year single structure basic education (primary and lower secondary education) is compulsory for all children from the age of 7. The curriculum is determined by the national basic education standard. The Ministry of Education and Science supervises and determines the content of the final national examinations.

Secondary Education 3-year general secondary schools are

determined by the National Standard in the following profiles:

• general comprehensive, • humanitarian / social, • mathematics / natural science /

technical, • vocational / professional (arts, music,

business, sports).

All educational programmes must contain 8 compulsory and 3-6 selected subjects according to the profile.

Secondary Education

4-year vocational secondary education programmes (vocational secondary schools) are offered to students who have successfully completed compulsory basic education Graduates of these programmes have an opportunity to combine vocational qualification with completion of their secondary education. 

Secondary Education

2-3 year vocational education and training programmes (vocational secondary schools) are offered to students who have completed the basic education and provide the opportunity to acquire vocational qualification.

Education can be continued in 2-year programmes leading to higher qualification level or 1-2 year programmes leading to a Certificate of the secondary education.

Secondary Education

3 year vocational basic education and training programmes (vocational schools) for students without a certificate of the basic education (after completion of at least 7 grades of basic education, but not before the calendar year when they become 15 years old). 

Besides acquiring of vocational qualification

students also have the opportunity to accomplish the basic education

Higher Education

Professional higher education: 1st level of professional higher education or college education

(2-3 years) leading to professional qualification; 2nd level of professional higher education leading to

professional qualification;or 2nd level of professional higher education leading to the professional Bachelor’s degree

Higher Education

Academic higher education programmes are based upon fundamental and/or applied science; they usually comprise a thesis at the end of each stage and lead to a Bachelor’s degree (Bakalaurs) and Master’s degree (Maģistrs).

Bachelor’s degree is considered as a complete academic qualification. (duration - 3 or 4 years).