Education inLatvia is free and compulsory.Compulsory education includes two years ofpreschool education (usually starting at five years old) and a further nine years ofprimary education (usually until 15/16 years of age).[1][2]
In 1996, the gross primary enrollment rate was 95.8 percent, while the net primary enrollment rate was 89.5 percent.[3] The number of children who do not attendprimary school was increasing as of 2001.[3] In rural areas, a number of schools have been closed.[3] The place allocated tominority languages insecondary education after the 2004 minority school transfer tobilingual education (60% inLatvian and 40% in the minority language) was an issue of protests in 2003–2004 and was opposed byHeadquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools and Association in Support of Russian Language Schools.[4][5]
According to 2010 data fromUNESCO, 4,720 students from Latvia were enrolled intertiary education abroad (mostly in the UK,Russia andGermany); 1,760 students from other countries were enrolled in tertiary education in Latvia (mostly from Russia,Ukraine andLithuania).[6]
In 2024,National defense became a compulsory subject in high school.[7]