Latgale region facing shortage of young STEM teachers

The Latgale region in eastern Latvia is experiencing a marked shortage of young teachers for STEM subjects — science, technology, and mathematics — according to data compiled by the Ministry of Education and Science, which reveals a significant generational imbalance among these educators.

Aging teaching staff

Ministry figures show that in the Preiļi municipality, nearly 60 percent of STEM teachers are between 55 and 64 years old. This means a large share of these educators could retire within the coming years, raising the risk that schools will lack qualified specialists to teach science, technology, and math.

An even more concerning picture emerges when looking at the youngest generation of educators: four municipalities in Latgale currently have no STEM teacher younger than 25 at all. This suggests that young specialists are increasingly reluctant to choose this profession in the region.

Efforts to address the problem

To attract new teachers to STEM subjects, various support measures are already in place — scholarships for prospective teachers, special support programs, and solutions developed by local municipalities aimed at making the teaching profession more appealing to young specialists in these fields.

However, current data indicates these measures have not been sufficient so far to correct the generational imbalance or ensure an adequate inflow of young STEM teachers into Latgale's schools.