Dear educational leaders,
Teachers,
All the fans of good education,
I
I am happy to welcome all of you to the 2019 conference and general meeting! I am deeply grateful for the advocacy of educational leaders’ interests here in Latvia over the past 27 years and your efforts to reach higher national education management efficiency. You are the driver that brings us closer to fully efficient and well-coordinated educational system.
We all want healthy, clean environment, modern business environment that appreciates science and education. Environment of respect for everyone, for our land and our future. You are the ones who work every day to create this environment. All societies depend on their people, and it is you who shape our young generation, their values, skills and knowledge.
I am grateful to you for all the enormous work, for your role in shaping personalities, making youngsters more capable and teaching them values. Your efforts will probably go unnoticed because they will reap rewards through your students. You must remain strong and celebrate the success of those whom you have raised and passed your knowledge to as your own. Your success is apparent without you ‘being in the picture’.
II
One and a half months ago we met to discuss the challenges faced by our education system, school network reform, language reform, skills-based learning and other issues. Education sector is going through a series of cumulative reforms. These reforms have already begun, they are no longer ahead. Reforms are rolled out simultaneously, which, of course, makes it even harder compared to gradual implementation of reforms one by one. It is tough, but you have to do it. I have no doubt this conference has major focus on how to cope with all these reforms.
III
Together we are building educated and smart society. It is our common goal to create a society where everyone is capable of not only taking care of their individual needs, but also making our society better. That is why we need to give our young people all the knowledge they crave, in all fields – natural science, human sciences and social sciences. It is also important to teach them how to be ethical. Those young people you work with need to be taught how to become responsible members of the society, capable of not only taking care of themselves, but as our constitution says, taking care of their near and dear ones and the whole society. Our democratic society is based on these seemingly incompatible values and you are the ones who teach our young people these values and how they should be combined.
IV
I believe in you and your unity in ranks. You follow clear values and find the best ways to achieve the goals. You rely on many years of experience, while young teachers fresh out of the university rely on their ardour. That is how you help solve all these challenges. Let me wish you a productive conference and, more importantly, success in your day to day work. We all appreciate the results of your everyday efforts. The better you work, the better off all of us are. Thank you sincerely!
