A Gap of Almost Twice: Which School in Latvia Became the Absolute Leader in Talented Students

This year, Riga schools hold leading positions in the ranking of schools by the Atis Kronvalds Foundation "Lielā Pūce" (Big Owl), which evaluates students' achievements in olympiads, scientific research conferences, and other intellectual competitions. The Riga State 1st Gymnasium is the undisputed leader in terms of points awarded in the ranking. This year, the ranking includes 32 state gymnasiums, 71 large schools, and 83 small schools. The top five in the state gymnasium group includes the Riga State 1st Gymnasium (212.59 points), Riga Agenskalns State Gymnasium (104.53), Riga State German Gymnasium (97.18), Riga State 2nd Gymnasium (68.27), and Jelgava State Gymnasium (46.4). In the large school group, the first place is held by the Riga French Lyceum (49.58), which has been at the top of the ranking in previous years as well. It is followed by Riga 64th Secondary School (39), Riga Central Humanities Secondary School (35.21), Riga 40th Secondary School (31.31), and Jūrmala Pumpuri Secondary School (20.97). In the small school group, the first place is retained by the Engineering Secondary School of Riga Technical University (RTU) — 87.54 points. The second place goes to Sigulda 1st Primary School (20.9), and the third to the private Patnis Secondary School (16.37). The top five also includes Pilssrudals Secondary School (12) and Agenskalns Primary School (12). The most significant rise in this group was shown by Sigulda 1st Primary School, which climbed from 19th place last year to second. The private Patnis Secondary School also improved its position — from 15th to third. Meanwhile, Pilssrudals Secondary School rose from 29th to fourth place. Representatives of the foundation note that the achievements of these schools have been reflected in the rankings in previous years — they have consistently been among the leaders. At the same time, there is a particularly significant difference in the number of points between the leaders of the ranking and the other schools. In the state gymnasium group, the Riga State 1st Gymnasium has 212.59 points, while the second place Riga Agenskalns State Gymnasium has 104.53 points, and the fifth place Jelgava State Gymnasium has 46.4 points. Also, in the small school group, the Engineering Secondary School RTU with 87.54 points significantly outpaces the second place Sigulda 1st Primary School, which received 20.29 points. In the large school group, the difference is more moderate — the Riga French Lyceum has 49.58 points, while the second place Riga 64th Secondary School has 39 points. The presentation of the "Big Owl" this year is planned to coincide with the honoring of the best teachers who have made significant contributions to the development of talented students. The ranking not only demonstrated the stable leadership of Riga schools but also the huge gap between the strongest educational institutions and the other participants. The advantage of the Riga State 1st Gymnasium and the Engineering Secondary School RTU is particularly noticeable. This year, along with the holders of the "Big Owl," teachers who have made significant contributions to the development of talented schoolchildren will also be recognized.