Education and Science, Latvia

Although in the first reading of the draft amendments the Saeima committee approved easing state language requirements also for the rector of Riga Graduate School of Law (RGSL), on Tuesday lawmakers decided to postpone the adoption of that bill in the second reading. The committee’s chairman Aldis Adamovics told LETA that a new law is being drafted for RGSL and that there are still several unanswered questions about this law, which is why the decision should not be rushed.

The question of both school rectors' command of Latvian was raised last year when the Cabinet of Ministers was considering whether to nominate SSE Riga rector Anders Paalzow for a second term. Paalzow continues to head the school, although he has not received the government's support. There was a similar situation with the RGSL rector Mel Kenny, who has since resigned.

The latest amendments to the law on SSE Riga stipulate that requirements on command of the state language do not apply to the school's academic personnel.