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Primary and secondary education
Primary and secondary education
Primary education programmes are implemented in grades 1-9. Primary education is compulsory. Partial primary education programmes are implemented in primary schools.
Five steps to enrol your child in school
Find out which neighbourhood school matches your child's registered address. Find out here (in Latvian).
You can start school as soon as your child turns five. You can also enrol your child later – up to May 15 of the year.
Write an application to enrol your child in school. It must indicate the school year in which you plan to start in Grade 1. You can apply in person or electronically via www.latvija.lv, using the institution's official e-address.
Wait to hear from the school in the year you plan to start. Applications for children continue until May 15, and the school's Grade 1 list opens on May 16. The list of applicants shall be drawn up within five working days.
The school sends information about each child's admission or refusal to enrol in Grade 1. Parents will receive information about their child's admission or refusal by email. If you receive an invitation, the letter will tell you the deadlines for submitting the required documents to the school.
General upper secondary education is available at secondary schools, grammar schools, evening (shift) schools and correspondence schools. The school year in general education is 35 weeks long.
Schools can run four-way general secondary education programmes for Grades 10-12:
- comprehensive
- maths, science and technical
- humanities and social sciences
- vocational programmes
There are also measures and programmes to support inclusive education, such as support for people with special needs in schools – assistant services in educational institutions to support mobility and self-care. There are also schools with national minority education programmes.
