Latvia Advances in Digital Education and Early Childhood Quality: A National Leap Toward Modern Learning

OUS Academy in Switzerland
Jun 20
3 min read

Latvia is making notable progress in transforming its education system, with two major developments emerging in June 2025: the nationwide digitalisation of higher education by 2029, and renewed policy focus on expanding and improving the quality of early childhood education and care. These two parallel initiatives reflect Latvia’s long-term commitment to creating an inclusive, modern, and skills-based education system.

Digitalisation of Higher Education: A Strategic Vision for 2029

This week, Latvia’s education authorities reaffirmed a comprehensive plan to fully digitalise its higher education system by the end of 2029. This vision includes developing robust digital infrastructure across academic institutions, providing all students with access to advanced e-learning environments, and training faculty to adapt their instructional methods for hybrid and online delivery.

Key features of the initiative include:

Development of digital platforms for lectures, exams, and student support.
Introduction of virtual labs and remote collaboration tools.
Integration of artificial intelligence to personalise learning experiences.
Nationwide training programs to strengthen educators’ digital pedagogy.

This policy responds directly to the growing demand for flexible learning models and the need to equip graduates with digital competencies relevant to the global labour market. Beyond administrative and academic convenience, the digitalisation strategy is designed to reduce regional disparities, allowing students from rural or underserved regions to benefit equally from national education resources.

By transitioning to hybrid and digital-first formats, Latvia positions itself as a forward-thinking education hub within the European space, while setting an example for neighbouring countries navigating similar transitions.

Improving Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC): Foundations for Lifelong Learning

In addition to digital reforms, Latvia has continued its efforts to enhance early childhood education and care. Since the introduction of the competence-based preschool curriculum in 2019, the focus has shifted toward aligning preschool education with the broader aims of cognitive development, emotional wellbeing, and social equity.

This week’s policy updates include:

Expansion of publicly funded places in early childhood centres for children aged 1–4.
Continued application of the competence-based model in preschools, ensuring children receive experiential and holistic learning.
Increased salaries for preschool teachers (adjusted by over 20% since early 2024) to encourage recruitment and retention.
Pilot projects for bilingual education in ECEC centres to improve language development among children from minority communities.

Despite legal entitlement to early education, some municipalities—particularly those around the capital—face pressure to meet demand due to growing population density and shifting demographics. Addressing this gap remains a priority, and authorities have committed additional funding to develop infrastructure in underserved areas.

Latvia’s Performance in Context: Access, Equity, and Quality

Latvia’s education performance indicators remain strong relative to regional peers. The country maintains a low school dropout rate and a commendably low level of socio-economic disparity in academic outcomes. Notably, recent evaluations show that only a modest portion of student performance is explained by their socio-economic background—an indication that Latvia’s education system is relatively equitable.

Nevertheless, challenges persist. Rural students often perform below their urban counterparts, especially in mathematics and reading. Furthermore, incidents of school bullying remain above the European average, affecting both emotional wellbeing and academic achievement. Teacher demographics also raise concern, with a significant percentage of educators approaching retirement age.

Efforts are ongoing to improve teaching quality and sustainability, including retraining initiatives and incentives for young professionals to enter the education sector.

A Dual Transformation Strategy

What makes Latvia’s current education strategy notable is its dual focus: future-proofing higher education through technology while simultaneously strengthening the foundational stage of learning. The digitalisation of universities and the expansion of early childhood education may appear unrelated on the surface, but together they form a coherent vision for educational continuity, from early development to lifelong learning.

In the coming months, success will depend on timely implementation, continued stakeholder engagement, and monitoring of educational outcomes. If these elements align effectively, Latvia may soon be recognised not only for preserving educational equity but for actively innovating it.