RIGA, Sept 10 (LETA) - From 2015 to 2022, average spending per pupil in Latvia decreased by USD 988 or EUR 841, while in OECD countries it increased on average over the same period, according to the OECD's annual Education at a Glance report.

Latvia is one of four OECD countries where funding for education has fallen between 2015 and 2022. The same trend has been observed in Finland, Mexico and Turkey.

On average, the share of the budget devoted to education in OECD countries has fallen only slightly, from 10.9 percent to 10.1 percent. In Latvia, the share of the national budget devoted to education fell even more sharply, from 11.6 percent to 7.4 percent, given the decline in the number of students.

Latvia's government provides USD 7,806 (EUR 6,66,) per pupil for general education, which puts it among the countries with the lowest funding. Higher education, on the other hand, has even lower spending - USD 6,873 (EUR 5,850) per student, compared to an OECD average of USD 15,102 (EUR 12,855).

In Latvia, investment in formal education from primary to higher education represents 3.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), still below the OECD average of 4.7 percent.

In parallel, the report shows that the efficiency and quality of education outcomes depend not only on the amount of funding, but also on the efficiency of resource use and the organization of the education system. Despite lower spending per pupil, Latvia, like Japan and Korea, is able to maintain relatively high levels of mathematics achievement. This is confirmed by the results of the OECD Program for International Student Assessment PISA 2022.

In Latvia, government spending on pre-primary education increased by 23 percent between 2015 and 2022. This is partly due to a 7.7 percent increase in the number of registered children. As a result, spending per child increased by 14.2 percent, which is still lower than the OECD average increase of 24 percent. Public funding for pre-primary education accounts for 92.8 percent of the total budget, compared to the OECD average of 85.6 percent.

In higher education, however, public funding accounts for only 55.4 percent of the total budget, below the OECD average of 67.4 percent. In vocational secondary education, the state covers 95 percent of the costs, while in general secondary education only 15 percent.

To improve the distribution and efficiency of education funding, this year Latvia has started to gradually introduce a new school funding model called Program at School. The reform provides for funding to be allocated on the basis of the type of school program, class size and the number of pupils enrolled. However, local authorities will be responsible for co-financing schools that do not meet the criteria set by the government.