During the meeting, Minister Melbārde invited the President to assume the patronage of the XIII Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Festival, which is scheduled to take place in Riga from 5 to 13 July this year. “With great honour, responsibility, and joy, I accept the role of patron of the XIII Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Festival. I hope this festival will strengthen our children’s and young people’s sense of belonging to Latvia, the Latvian language, and our culture. This year’s festival is of particular significance, as many children and young people were unable to experience the Festival in person during the pandemic, and some never returned to the Song and Dance movement afterwards. Therefore, I truly hope that many young people from all across Latvia, as well as from the Latvian diaspora around the world, will take part in the XIII Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Festival. The extent to which this Festival is rich in quality, experience, and safety will shape the interest of youth in continuing their involvement in the Song and Dance tradition,” said President Edgars Rinkēvičs on the importance of continuity in the youth song and dance movement.
“I welcome the Minister’s commitment to focus resources on increasing support staff in schools and expanding the range of educational and methodological tools available to teachers. These measures will enable school teams to better support children with diverse needs, identify challenges, and at the same time reduce the overload and burnout risk for educators,” emphasized President Rinkēvičs.
