Riga, Feb 6 (LETA) - Taking into account the shortage of teachers in Riga, after the planned changes in the network of preschool educational institutions in Riga municipality, those teachers who wish to continue working will not lose their jobs, Vilnis Kirsis (New Unity), Deputy Chairman of the Riga City Council, told journalists on Friday.

Kirsis said that changes in the network of educational institutions have been discussed for some time. He pointed out that it was no secret that the main reason for such changes was demographic trends. The number of newborns registered in the city has dropped significantly in recent years, and the network of educational institutions cannot be unaffected by this decline.

He explained that the planned changes will allow for a more rational use of resources, including the number of teachers, as there is often a shortage of teachers. This will benefit everyone, Kirsis stressed, adding that "the resources saved will not be taken out of the system" and that it will improve working conditions and increase teachers' salaries.

Riga is not a regional city, where closing an educational institution would require travelling many kilometers to another one, Kirsis reminded. "Any change in terms of inconvenience will actually mean crossing the street, taking public transport one stop further or walking a few minutes longer," he said, outlining possible inconveniences for citizens.

"We are currently short of teachers - we will find a use for everyone. Anyone who wants to work will not be left without a job," emphasized Kirsis.

As for private preschools, he said that efforts were underway to enable the municipality and the private sector to work together more effectively on education issues.

Laima Geikina (New Unity), head of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee of the Riga City Council, pointed out that change is never easy, so there is understandable anxiety and a lot of interest in this issue. She stressed that the city's main goal is good quality education.

According to a Riga City Council decision of February 19, 2025, Riga Elementary School No. 74 and Riga Secondary School No. 64 will be merged in the 2026-2027 school year, as will Riga Rinuzi Secondary School with Riga Secondary School No. 31.

In Grizinkalns, Riga Christian Elementary School No.1 will be merged with Riga Secondary School No.6.

The City Council also informed that additional optimization measures will be considered for the 2027/2028 school year, including the merger of Riga Brotze Lyceum and Riga Sarkandaugava Elementary School, as well as Riga Gailezers and Riga Mezciems Elementary Schools, and an assessment of the situation in the Bolderaja, Daugavgriva and Kengarags neighborhoods.

The network improvement includes both mergers and closures of preschools.

As reported, the planned changes in the network of preschool educational institutions in Riga will affect neighborhoods such as Vecmilgravis, Ilguciems, and Kengarags, said Vilnis Kirsis (New Unity), Deputy Chairman of the Riga City Council, in an interview with the Latvian Television.

He revealed that ten kindergartens in Riga are to be physically closed, while several other preschools will be reorganized, which means that the kindergartens in these locations will remain, but legally they will be merged, which will save administrative resources.

Kirsis stressed that where the physical locations of the services are maintained, parents should have absolutely no worries, and even where kindergartens will be closed completely, other preschools are only a few blocks away.

Due to the so-called demographic gap, the number of pupils in Riga is decreasing, and it is planned to close and merge several preschool and general education institutions, as in some locations the institutions are filled only 50 percent to 60 percent of their capacity.