After the meeting, the President of Latvia pointed out that the dialogue initiated by the Government and the Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees (LIZDA) was welcomed when looking for possible solutions for further increase of teachers’ salaries around the negotiation table. However, the increase in teachers’ salaries will not be possible without significant changes in the education sector. Accessibility and quality of education, as well as mobility meaning pupils getting to school, is a set of issues that must be addressed in collaboration among the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, the Ministry of Transport, and the local governments.
During the meeting, the President of Latvia also informed the Prime Minister that he intended to submit a draft law “On Termination of the Awarding of Non-Citizen Status to Children” to the Saeima on Thursday, 21 March 2019. The purpose of this initiative is to stop granting non-citizen status to non-citizen children born after the statutory date and to recognise them as Latvian citizens unless the child’s parents have agreed to grant the nationality of another country to the child and the child is not a citizen of another country. The draft law to be submitted will not make any changes other than clarifications in terms given that the public and politicians have had many opportunities to discuss the initiative concerned.
