Government backs extra €537,444 for private school teachers' pay

The Latvian government on Tuesday supported a plan by the Ministry of Education and Science (IZM) to reallocate an additional €537,444 for teacher salaries in private educational institutions. The money will go to 16 private schools that did not receive the planned state funding for teachers' pay after the new financing model was introduced.

What the proposal includes

The IZM proposal provides that, in this school year, the requirement of a minimum of 15 pupils will not apply to certain groups of classes, and state funding for teacher pay will be recalculated. The changes are linked to the rollout of the new school financing model, "Programma skolā" (Programme in School). After the new rules took effect on 1 September, several private schools did not receive the expected funding for classes with too few pupils.

The funds will be taken from programmes intended for social support to teachers in the event of school reorganisation and for free lunches for primary school pupils. IZM forecasts a surplus in these programmes.

Background of the reform

The teacher pay reform was announced in 2023, when the education sector was led by the "Jaunā vienotība" (New Unity) party alliance. Its aim is to reduce inequality among teachers, since under the previous "Money Follows the Pupil" model, pay rises depended on the number of children in municipalities. "Programma skolā" was partly introduced on 1 September 2025 and will be fully in place from 1 September this year. An additional €45 million is earmarked for its implementation in 2026, and more funding will be needed in later years.

Full state funding will go to schools that meet criteria on pupil numbers in classes and class groups, as well as requirements on school size and structure, depending on location. Developing the school network criteria prompted wide debate: representatives of various political forces, municipalities, sector organisations and residents have repeatedly objected to the minimum pupil number criteria, fearing school closures, especially in regions and rural areas.