Riga, September 16, LETA.

The Latvian Association of Education Managers (LIVA) supports the arrangement and optimization of the school network initiated by the Ministry of Education and Science (MES), Rūdolfs Kalvāns, Chairman of the Board of LIVA, told LETA.He pointed out that LIVA will always support constructive changes in the school network, its optimization and model change. He is confident that constructive change will serve as a "beacon of quality." LIVA listened to the vision of the Municipality of Science, which offers three models. The first model proposes to determine the transition to the principle of "money follows the class". This approach is based on funding for the classroom at school. The second model provides for the principle of "class in the municipality", which would provide for the need to determine the size of the rationed class. According to the MeS, such a model would encourage local governments to optimize the school network, as well as promote responsibility for the quality of education. The third model provides for determining the average costs of one educatee by placing the distribution of the earmarked grant under the responsibility of local governments. LIVA agrees with the Minister of Education and Science Anita Muižniece (MSP) that the third model would be the most appropriate. Liva believes that the second model could also be further negotiated. However, the association pointed to a range of issues and concerns related to administration, school costs. According to him, the Minister wrote down the shortcomings expressed by the association for the third approach, and LIVA is confident that discussions on this model of arrangement of the school network will continue. As Kalvāns explained, LIVA's biggest concern is the proportions of management's remuneration, redistribution, as well as the minimum set and the freedom of school principals to handle the money allocated by the municipality. So far, the system has not been fair and has caused management budgets a "big headache," Calvan said. He pointed out that the subjective influence of the political leadership of the local government, the cultivation of stereotypes regarding specific school principals and their teams should be excluded from the agenda in the distribution of the proportions of management's remuneration. "It has to be excluded from the equation," the head of the association stressed. Kalvāns stressed that LIVA would always advocate that deputy school principals and methodologists should be in the management of school principals, i.e., the headmaster of the school will decide how much and how to pay their deputies. LIVA is also interested in how school principals will receive funding. LETA has already reported, the MeS has developed an offer of three new models for calculating teachers' salaries, encouraging to abandon the principle "money follows the pupil". The model, which will be supported by the Cabinet of Ministers, is planned to be introduced from 1 September 2022.