Latvia moves to tighten quality rules for distance learning as fewer families opt in
Latvia's Education Ministry is preparing new quality requirements for distance and home education, even as schools report that fewer families are choosing this path.
Latvia's Ministry of Education and Science has submitted for public consultation a draft Cabinet regulation on home education, distance learning and part-time in-person schooling. The changes aim to set clearer quality and support standards while clarifying the responsibilities of schools and parents.
Schools will need to provide an age-appropriate curriculum, quality teaching materials, a digital learning environment, and regular feedback from teachers. Distance-learning students must have direct contact with a teacher for at least 30% of the program's total volume, alongside regular tests. For grades 1–6, distance learning or home education will only be allowed if it serves the child's best interests — parents must justify the choice, and municipalities will assess the child's age, health and other circumstances. The new rules will be phased in between 2027 and 2029.
Declining interest
Zita Šteinberga, head of Aizkraukle Municipality Secondary School, says interest in distance learning, which spiked during the pandemic, has since cooled. Last year only 1.4% of the school's 848 students switched to distance learning, and this year the number is even lower. She notes that in-person classes remain the better choice for most children, since school builds important social skills, though she acknowledges remote learning can suit some students better.
A family's experience
Dace Zvirgzdiņa from Jaunjelgava says her daughter Melisa switched to distance learning a few years ago because intensive dance and sports training in Riga clashed with her regular school schedule. Distance learning allowed Melisa to combine studies with her athletic and artistic pursuits, even completing two grades' worth of material in a single year. The family stresses that distance learning suits only disciplined, motivated children with a clear goal, not as an easy way to skip school, and that other opportunities for socializing, such as sports or dance clubs, remain essential.
