Record Number of Pupils Join Latvia’s “Sporto visa klase” School Sports Project
The Latvian Olympic Committee’s “Sporto visa klase” project has begun its 13th season with its largest-ever participation, over 9,700 pupils. Teachers at schools near Aizkraukle say it has made children fitter and more disciplined.
The Latvian Olympic Committee (LOK) has launched the 13th season of its school sports project “Sporto visa klase” (“Exercise as a Whole Class”) for the 2026/2027 school year. Participation is the highest in the project’s history: 171 educational institutions from 37 municipalities have joined, with a total of 488 classes and more than 9,715 pupils. They include the primary schools of Pļaviņas and Jaunjelgava and Aizkraukle Municipality Secondary School.
How the project works
Pupils in grades 2 to 6 take part. During the school year, participating classes have a physical education lesson every day, along with various challenges and competitions. Pupils complete general fitness tasks, and their academic results are assessed as well. At the end of the season, the best classes meet in the finals. Last year 66 classes from 43 institutions took part, competing in relay races, orienteering, quiz and team tasks.
LOK President Raimonds Lazdiņš says the record means nearly ten thousand children for whom movement has become part of daily life. He notes that inactivity and screen time among children are discussed ever more often.
Support for schools
The project is supported by municipalities, schools and partners. One of them is the “Latvijas loto” initiative “Kustība, kas vieno” (“Movement That Unites”), which helps schools buy equipment and develop sports infrastructure. Over five years, 126 institutions have received funding, affecting more than 60,000 pupils.
Teachers’ experience
Pupils of Jaunjelgava Primary School have taken part for 12 seasons. For PE teacher Zaiga Osāne, this is her third time in the project. She believes that five PE lessons a week and shared trips to competitions strengthen class cohesion and make children more disciplined. In her words, project participants know and can do more in PE lessons than other classes.
Sanita Zariņa, a PE teacher at Aizkraukle Municipality Secondary School, is in the project for the second year with class 4.b. She stresses that participants are physically stronger than their peers and learn to work together.
