Demography, Education and Science, EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Legislation

Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills, who presented the report in Latvia, noted that the number of students in the Baltic country has been dropping at a faster rate than the number of teachers. Latvia’s public expenditure on education and per-student funding at all levels are lower than many OECD countries. Long-term efficiency gains will depend on the success of recent reforms in school and tertiary education funding and will require making clear spending choices. Schleicher warned, however, that more funding does not necessarily ensure better results.

Schleicher also said that teachers' wages are very low in Latvia in comparison with other OECD countries. The OECD expert indicated that raising teacher salaries to nationally comparable levels will improve recruitment but will necessitate bigger class sizes and higher student teacher ratios. There is no evidence, however, that smaller classes make teachers happier, the expert said.

In Latvia, teachers' wages are relatively constant and do not depend on achievements, which in turn does not help motivate the teachers and improve their performance, Schleicher said.

According to the OECD's recommendations to Latvia, giving equal access to a quality education from the youngest age must be a priority. In the PISA 2012 test, urban students outperformed rural students by the equivalent of more than a year of schooling – half a year more than the average in OECD countries.

Furthermore, Latvia should make the improvement of its education information system and the strategic use of research to inform its reform agenda into a priority, says the report. Vocational education and tertiary education have benefited greatly in recent years from a series of important research reports that have acted as a catalyst for education reforms. Such efforts should be expanded to other levels of education. In schools, strengthening self-evaluation and teacher appraisal would help, the OECD says in its report.