More Than 35,000 Young People Are Taking State Defence Training in Latvian Schools
This school year, 35,836 students in Latvian secondary schools are taking state defence training. The Youth Guard Centre briefed a Saeima subcommittee on the challenges and planned changes to the programme.
More than 35,000 young people are currently enrolled in state defence training (VAM) at general and vocational secondary schools in Latvia. Representatives of the Youth Guard Centre (Jaunsardzes centrs) reported this at a meeting of the comprehensive state defence subcommittee of the Saeima's Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee.
Numbers and scope
This school year, 35,836 students are taking VAM. Of these, 16,737 are in the first training stage, 16,723 are in the second stage, and 2,379 are studying in the e-VAM distance-learning programme. The programme runs in 271 educational institutions: 245 teach in person, while 26 provide distance learning. Training is delivered by 330 Youth Guard instructors.
Challenges
The meeting also discussed obstacles to implementation so far: resistance to some e-VAM solutions, poorly regulated exceptional cases, and infrastructure limits in schools, including a lack of shooting ranges in Riga. An improved programme, "VAM 2.0", is also being developed, with greater emphasis on medical training, the use of drones and teacher preparation.
Possible changes
Youth Guard Centre representatives noted that amendments to secondary education standards may be needed in future, increasing the hours devoted to civic engagement and conduct in crisis situations, and adding broader drone and first-aid training. It is proposed to raise the VAM volume from 112 to 140 hours starting in the 2028/2029 school year.
One possible legislative change mentioned is an amendment to the Weapons Circulation Law. Under certain conditions, it would allow the Youth Guard Centre and vocational secondary schools under the Ministry of Defence to train young people aged 16 and over to use assault rifles.
Lawmakers' comments
Subcommittee chairman Igors Rajevs said he was pleased that the programme is developing despite the challenges. He noted that ways should also be found to encourage young people to take the training, and urged the Youth Guard Centre to cooperate more actively with the National Armed Forces on drone training.
Five other deputies sit on the subcommittee: Edvīns Šnore (National Alliance), Ainars Latkovskis (New Unity), Raimonds Bergmanis (Union of Greens and Farmers), Jānis Skrastiņš (New Unity) and Edmunds Zivtiņš (Latvia First). None of them attended the meeting, so no political discussion took place.
