Changes to Jelgava’s education system approved

After evaluating the information provided by the local government, the Ministry of Education and Science (IZM) this week approved the council’s decisions on the planned changes to the network of educational institutions in the city of Jelgava, affecting Primary School No. 3, the Evening (Shift) Secondary School and Basic School No. 2.

The school network development plan supported by the Jelgava City Council is part of an education development strategy whose main objective is to improve the quality of education in the city by defining the development priorities of each school.

The Ministry of Education and Science supported the council’s decision to liquidate Jelgava Evening (Shift) Secondary School by merging it with the Vocational Secondary School. This means that, starting on 1 September of the next school year, all the school’s students will continue their studies at Jelgava Vocational Secondary School, which offers basic and secondary education programmes in evening or extramural form.

The Ministry of Education and Science also supported the decision to change the status of Primary School No. 3. As of 1 June, the educational institution will become Jelgava Central Basic School. This means that during the summer the school will begin admitting students to Year 7, and three academic years later the first Year 9 graduation ceremony will be held at this educational institution.

The decision to merge Jelgava Basic School No. 2 with Secondary Schools No. 5 and No. 6 has also been approved. Basic School No. 2 and Secondary School No. 6 will be merged after the end of this school year; however, each parent may choose the city’s educational institution at which their child will continue their education. To make the transition as easy as possible for the younger students of Basic School No. 2 and to ensure that the school is closer to their homes, Secondary School No. 5 is ready to accept all Year 1 to Year 3 students together with their respective class teachers. The students who will be in Year 9 next school year have also been offered the option of choosing either Secondary School No. 5 or No. 6 and transferring there together with their entire class and class teacher. Meanwhile, current Year 6 and Year 7 students will have the opportunity to study in the same building by joining Jelgava Spīdola State Gymnasium. At the same time, every parent may choose any other school in the city.