Basketball federation official: free education in Latvia is a myth
Latvian Basketball Association Secretary General Kaspars Cipruss says his family had to pay for private tutoring after a shortage of teachers left his daughter without proper preparation for her biology exam. He argues claims of free education and healthcare in Latvia don't match reality.
Kaspars Cipruss, Secretary General of the Latvian Basketball Association, shared a personal experience on TV24's program "Preses Klubs" that highlights a persistent problem in Latvia's education system: a shortage of teachers.
His daughter, in 11th grade last school year, planned to take the biology exam, but the subject's teacher was often unavailable for lessons. According to Cipruss, the school even pushed students toward skipping the exam altogether. Wanting his daughter to still be prepared, the family hired a private tutor and arranged extra lessons twice a week.
An easier path, but not one everyone can take
Cipruss admits he chose not to engage in a prolonged dispute with the school administration, understanding how complicated and bureaucratic it can be to quickly find and hire a new teacher. Instead, the family opted to pay for tutoring — though he stresses this option isn't available to everyone, since not every family can afford a private tutor for each subject where problems arise.
His daughter ultimately passed the exam, but out of roughly 30 students in her class, only five ended up taking the biology exam. Cipruss calls this an unfortunate outcome directly tied to the teacher shortage.
Not just a biology problem
Cipruss warns that similar issues are likely to affect other subjects as well if the shortage of available teachers isn't addressed, calling it an issue in urgent need of a solution.
He also criticized the common assumption that Latvia provides fully free education and healthcare. In his view, families seeking quality services still end up paying out of pocket. His experience, he says, also points to a broader inequality problem — families who can afford regular private lessons can give their children extra advantages in exam preparation, while other families lack that financial option.
