Latvian schools must draft crisis continuity plans by October
Starting this school year, all Latvian educational institutions are required to create a business continuity plan for crisis or threat situations. The State Fire and Rescue Service stresses the plan must also be tested in practice.
This is the first school year in which new rules on how educational institutions should act during crises or threats have taken effect in Latvia. Under the new requirements, every school and other educational institution must develop a business continuity plan, keep it updated, and review it regularly to ensure coordinated action in emergencies.
Support for school leaders
To help institutions meet the requirement, authorities prepared a draft continuity plan that school administrators can use as a basis for their own document. School principals were introduced to the new document and requirements in late August.
Deadline and the need to rehearse the plan
Educational institutions have been given a deadline of October to finalize their plans. The State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) notes that drafting the document alone is not enough — the plan must also be practically rehearsed so that schools can confirm it actually works and staff know how to respond in a crisis.
The new requirement is part of broader efforts to strengthen the readiness of educational institutions for various threats and to ensure schools have a clear, tested course of action for emergency situations.
