Smiltene Municipality Honours Education Award Winners
On the evening of 16 October, Smiltene Municipality in Latvia honoured the winners of its “Smiltene Municipality Education Award 2026” in ten categories. The lifetime achievement award went to Ieva Zariņa, long-time head of Gaujiena Primary School.
A ceremony was held on Friday evening, 16 October, in the large hall of the Smiltene Municipality Cultural Centre in northern Latvia to present the winners of the local government competition “Smiltene Municipality Education Award 2026”. The municipality and its Education Board run the competition every year to recognise teachers, support staff and pupils for their achievements. Candidates are assessed in ten categories, based on professional skill, high results in studies and contribution to developing education in the municipality.
Lifetime achievement award
The lifetime contribution to education award went to Ieva Zariņa, the long-time former head of Ojārs Vācietis Gaujiena Primary School. She has worked in education for 46 years: six as a teacher and the rest as a school head. She began as a head in the Skujene school in Cēsis district and then led the Gaujiena school for 33 years. The school carried the title of gymnasium for nine years, which, she said, allowed pupils to enter any university they wished. She also highlighted the school’s international projects and the preservation of Ojārs Vācietis’s name for the school. She is now retired.
Other winners
Annual awards were presented to:
- Dagnija Pakalne – work with pupils in grades 1–6;
- Sarmīte Apine – work with pupils in grades 7–12;
- Elita Ruska and Dana Safronova – preschool education;
- Eva Uldriķe – professionally oriented and interest education;
- Ilva Harkina and Ieva Gaismiņa – support for the education process;
- Marta Cīrule – high achievement at primary school level;
- Oskars Ūdris (Smiltene Technical School) – high achievement at secondary school level;
- Estere Lārmane – achievement in professionally oriented education in music and art;
- Una Pērkone – achievement in professionally oriented education in sport.
Work anniversaries
The ceremony also honoured teachers marking work anniversaries: Aira Kārkliņa has worked for 50 years, nine teachers for 40 years, and nine teachers for 30 years.
In their speeches, Education Board head Evija Kindzule and council deputy Baiba Šķērīte congratulated the winners. Kindzule stressed that every child needs a person who notices and encourages them.
