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YouthWiki

EACEA National Policies Platform
Latvia

Latvia

6. Education and Training

Last update: 28 November 2023

The Latvian education system consists of pre-school education, basic education, secondary education and higher education. General education lasts 12 years in total, including mandatory 9-year basic education and 3-year secondary education. In addition, Latvia has mandatory pre-school education at the age of 5 and 6. 

The degree of basic education includes general basic education (forms 1 to 9) and vocational basic education. The degree of secondary education includes general secondary education, vocational secondary education and vocational education. The degree of higher education includes both academic and professional study programmes.

According to the Education Law, non-formal education is defined as "educational activities that are not formal education-based on organized interests and demands". It thus provides the acquisition of skills and abilities that contribute to the integration of a person into society and the labor market.

Non-formal education develops life skills, such as ability to solve problems, unforeseen situations and conflicts, critically evaluate and make decisions, and others, and empowers everyone to individualize and prove themselves.

The most common non-formal youth activities in the youth are various camps, seminars, conferences, as well as other events, the writing and implementation of projects, the exchange of local and international experience, volunteering, etc. The essence of all these measures is that they are voluntarily initiated, planned and implemented by young people themselves on topics that they find exciting and important for themselves.