PIRLS 2006 Encyclopedia

LatviaAntra OzolaUniversity of LatviaLanguage and LiteracyLatvian is the official language of Latvia and the primary language of instruction, althoughinstruction also is provided in eight minority languages. In the 2006 school year, Latvianwas the language of instruction in 727 schools, Russian was used in 148 schools, and92 schools had both Latvian- and Russian-speaking classes. There also are small numbersof schools that provide all or some instruction in Polish, Ukrainian, Byelorussian,Estonian, and Lithuanian. 1In 2006–07, Latvia’s population was 59% Latvian, 29% Russian, 4% Byelorussian, 3%Ukrainian, and 3% Polish. Five percent of the population is Lithuanian, Israeli, Gypsy,German, and Estonian. 2Emphasis on LiteracyIn 2005, 2,371 books and booklets were published in Latvia, 1,932 of them in Latvian. Ofthese, 234 were children’s books. There also were 366 magazines and 261 newspaperspublished. In Latvia, there are 877 public libraries with 12.3 million reading items. In 2005,Latvian public libraries attracted 514,000 registered users who borrowed 19.9 millionbooks. Of these users, 68% live in urban areas. 3The National Library of Latvia has developed a reading promotion program calledChildren’s Jury. A committee of experts selects a collection of the newest children’s books,and the National Library of Latvia sends this collection to participating libraries. Thecollection of books is divided into four age groups (grades 1–2, grades 3–4, grades 5–7,and grades 8–9), with six books for each age group. Children who wish to participatein this program read all the books intended for their age group and complete a surveyto evaluate each book. At the end of the year, the top three books in each age group arechosen, and there are several award ceremonies for the best and most active readersaround the country.Overview of the Education SystemThe education system in Latvia is administered at three levels: national, municipal, andinstitutional. The Parliament (Saeima), the Cabinet of Ministers, and the Ministry ofEducation and Science are the main decision-making bodies at the national level. TheMinistry of Education and Science is the education policymaking institution, issues229