The Ministry of Culture (KM) will reannounce a competition for conducting Latvian language courses for third-country nationals due to the transition to a unified system for teaching Latvian as a foreign language for adults. This was reported to the LETA agency by the ministry's public relations specialist, Dace Vizule. On July 21, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the conceptual report prepared by the Ministry of Education and Science (IZM) on eliminating institutional fragmentation and the division of competencies in the field of state language education for adults. The implementation of this document changes the plans of the Ministry of Culture regarding Latvian language learning programs for the integration of third-country nationals. According to the government's decision, the obligations for the second phase of the projects of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (PMIF), aimed at integrating third-country nationals into Latvian society through expanding opportunities for learning and using the Latvian language, can only be assumed by the Ministry of Culture until December 31, 2027. The government-approved approach changed the conditions of the competition announced by the Ministry of Culture on June 3. The project implementation period is reduced by almost two years, and along with it, the amount of funding available to competition participants is also decreased. In light of these changes, the Ministry of Culture, which is the delegated institution for implementing PMIF programs for the period of 2021–2027, decided to terminate the current competition and announce a new open selection competition under updated conditions. The agency emphasizes that information about the new competition will be published soon. According to the conceptual report, starting from January 1, 2028, the Ministry of Education and Science will begin the project selection procedure for further improving the state language education system and continuing the second phase of the PMIF program "Integration of Third-Country Nationals into Local Society by Expanding Opportunities for Learning and Using the Latvian Language." Work on the concept of eliminating institutional fragmentation in the field of state language education for adults began last year. The initial version of the document provided for a transition period until 2029, which is why the competition announced by the Ministry of Culture on June 3 was organized according to this plan. The application period for the competition ended on July 13. The Ministry of Culture received 14 project proposals. It was previously reported that by 2029, a unified system for teaching the state language to adults is planned to be implemented in Latvia to eliminate the existing fragmentation among various institutions and to enhance the accessibility and quality of Latvian language education. The conceptual report from the Ministry of Education and Science notes that today, state-funded Latvian language courses for adults are organized by several state institutions, using different programs and funding sources. This leads to various requirements for training organizers, complicates data accounting and quality control, and makes it difficult for residents to find suitable courses. The new system will be intended for adults whose native language is not Latvian and who legally reside in Latvia. Special attention is planned to be given to recently arrived foreigners. Additionally, the system will cover representatives of the Latvian diaspora and their family members preparing to return to the country, as well as foreign students and other specialists, to facilitate their integration into society and the labor market. It is expected that the new system will provide unified registration for language courses, centralized data accounting, as well as uniform requirements for the content of education, teacher qualifications, and quality control. A special language learning module on the adult skills management platform **Stars** is planned to be created, which will be integrated with other state information systems. According to the plan, the transition to the new system will occur in stages. By the end of 2027, it is expected that the necessary regulations will be prepared and uniform requirements for training organizers will be established. By the end of 2028, the Stars module is planned to be developed, and pilot projects will be conducted. From 2029, all state-funded Latvian language courses for adults are expected to be organized within the framework of a unified system. The Ministry of Education and Science hopes that after the transition period, it will become the main state body responsible for teaching adults the state language, while the Latvian Language Agency will directly organize the educational process. The new system will also provide unified information about all courses, self-assessment tests for language proficiency, and centralized accounting of learning outcomes. The creation of a unified state system should make learning the Latvian language clearer and more accessible for foreigners and other adult learners. However, the transition to the new model has already led to the cancellation of the announced competition and forced the Ministry of Culture to completely revise the funding conditions for language programs.
