On 20 August, President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs met at Riga Castle with Ombudsman Juris Jansons. During the meeting, the parties discussed the Ombudsman’s report on helping children with addictions, the President heard the Ombudsman’s opinion about decriminalising drug use by minors, opinions were exchanged about the regulations on accountability for hate crimes, and the President also heard the Ombudsman’s vision for the institution of family court. The parties also discussed the availability of medicines for oncology patients in cases where the state refuses to compensate these medicines in full or partially even though a medical council has recommended treatment with that specific medicine.
“The Ombudsman plays a crucial role in educating society about human rights and good governance, thus raising awareness about democratic values and safeguarding them. I especially appreciate the Ombudsman’s contribution in strengthening the protection of children’s rights, inter alia by assessing the work of state institutions and providing recommendations on how to improve government support for children,” President Rinkēvičs said during the meeting.
The President of Latvia supported the Ombudsman’s position that it is the responsibility of the state to provide free education as stipulated in the Constitution of Latvia. Parents must not be expected to purchase learning resources that should be provided by education institutions During the meeting, the Ombudsman also drew attention to the fact that education institutions have the right to require pupils to wear a school uniform, however, the lack of such a uniform may not be grounds for restricting access to education. Education institutions have the right to receive additional funding through donations and gifts, however, they may not demand specific payments from parents, for example, into a school fund. Donations and gifts to a school or kindergarten are a voluntary decision taken by parents of their own free will.
