Latvia to end courses of Russian as 2nd foreign language in schools
Latvia's Education Ministry will decide to gradually phase out Russian as a second foreign language in the country's schools, the media outlet Delfi reported on April 21, The Kyiv Independent reports.
Some 23.7% of Latvia's population of 1.8 million are ethnic Russians, according to the Latvian government's data from 2023. A survey conducted in 2023 found that 37.7% of Latvia's population said that Russian was their mother tongue.
English serves as the first foreign language Latvian schoolchildren learn, and in theory, a number of other languages are offered as the second.
According to the Education Ministry, Russian continues to be taught as the second foreign language in more than half of Latvian schools, in large part due to the lack of teachers.
The plan proposes to introduce more options for other second foreign languages to be taught in Latvian schools starting in 2026, particularly focusing on those from other EU countries.
The move is the latest in a series of measures by Latvia to de-Russify its public sphere.
The Latvian parliament passed an amendment in 2022 tightening residency rules for Russian citizens in the country in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russians living in Latvia are now required to apply for permanent residence and pass a basic-level Latvian language test.
