Schools likely to require English from first grade on

RIGA — The Latvian government is set to require schools to teach an official European Union language from the first grade starting with the 2011-12 school year, a policy decision the Ministry of Education and Science finalized on Wednesday.

Latvia does not currently have a standard nationwide policy on foreign language education, as some school districts initiate foreign language instruction as early as [private_supervisor]kindergarten while others wait until third grade. The language most schools are likely to choose is English, as although Latvia has a large ethnic Russian minority because Russian is not an official EU language.

The Ministry of Education and Science does not currently have a cost estimates on the curriculum change, an important consideration given the austerity measures Latvia may continue if it is to strive for Maastricht criteria with the national budget. In addition to classroom materials for English instruction, insuring that all classrooms will have a qualified English teacher is another issue yet to be resolved. [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]kindergarten while others wait until third grade. The language most schools are likely to choose is English, as although Latvia has a large ethnic Russian minority because Russian is not an official EU language.

The Ministry of Education and Science does not currently have a cost estimates on the curriculum change, an important consideration given the austerity measures Latvia may continue if it is to strive for Maastricht criteria with the national budget. In addition to classroom materials for English instruction, insuring that all classrooms will have a qualified English teacher is another issue yet to be resolved. [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]kindergarten while others wait until third grade. The language most schools are likely to choose is English, as although Latvia has a large ethnic Russian minority because Russian is not an official EU language.

The Ministry of Education and Science does not currently have a cost estimates on the curriculum change, an important consideration given the austerity measures Latvia may continue if it is to strive for Maastricht criteria with the national budget. In addition to classroom materials for English instruction, insuring that all classrooms will have a qualified English teacher is another issue yet to be resolved. [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]kindergarten while others wait until third grade. The language most schools are likely to choose is English, as although Latvia has a large ethnic Russian minority because Russian is not an official EU language.

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