Latvian lawmakers reject idea to lower school age to six years

RIGA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Several reforms proposed by the Latvian education and science ministry became stuck in parliament on Thursday as members of the education committee rejected a number of the ministry's initiatives, including the idea to lower the school age to six years.

The decision to reject the amendment to the education law that would lower the school age from seven to six years was taken after several hours of heated debate.

Inara Dundure, an adviser to the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments, reminded Members of Parliament (MPs) that an online petition against sending six-year-olds to school had gathered more than 10,000 signatures. She called the initiative, rushed.

"Before putting this proposal before the parliament for voting, a number of questions have to be answered and legislation drafted so it can be coordinated with the schools' modernization," the representative of the local authorities' association said.

"I agree that we are not ready for this, neither materially, nor financially," said MP Arvids Platpers of the Latvian Association of Regions.

Instead of postponing the proposal on starting school at six years of age, the parliament committee voted to reject it altogether.

The lawmakers also dismissed the ministry's proposal to give high schools greater freedom in combining teaching programs and decided to postpone a transition to competency-based learning for a year. Enditem