Foto: BB.LV / Прогульщик
According to bb.lv, the proposal from the Ministry of Education and Science (IZM) was presented on September 23 at a meeting of the Saeima Education, Culture and Science Committee. According to the ministry, the more classes a student misses, the lower their average results. The impact of unjustified absences is particularly noticeable on grades in mathematics, the Latvian language, and social sciences. ### How many lessons make up 10% The number of absences will depend on the grade. In the 1st grade, 10% will amount to approximately 75 lessons for the academic year, in the 2nd grade — 81, in the 7th grade — 112, in the 8th–9th grades — 119, and in the 10th–12th grades — 126 lessons. In vocational secondary education programs, the threshold will be 144 hours. For children of mandatory preschool age, it is proposed to count not lessons, but days. According to IZM's calculations, 10% of the academic year is approximately 19 days. The ministry proposes to set a limit of **20 days from September to May** that a child can miss without additional agreement. Importantly, reaching the 10% threshold will not automatically mean punishment. The school will need to investigate the reasons for the prolonged absence and determine whether the child requires additional support. Moreover, the new system may take into account not only **unjustified but also justified absences**. This will require changes to the existing regulatory framework. Currently, the rules provide for a separate procedure if a student misses more than **20 academic hours per semester** without a valid reason, and the school is unaware of the reason for their absence: this information must be entered into the State Education Information System. The new model is planned to be tested at the beginning of next year in **seven educational institutions in Latvia** of different profiles. Based on the results of the pilot project, recommendations may be refined.
