RIGA, March 12 (LETA) - The implementation of the School 2030 program was not properly planned, so now it is necessary to figure out how to fix the flaws, Latvia's new Education and Science Minister Dace Melbarde (New Unity) said Wednesday in an interview on TV3.

She noted that the previous education minister Anda Caksa (New Unity) had started many reforms which could not be left unfinished. The reforms must be thoroughly assessed and brought to completion, paying attention to the necessary details incorporated in the reforms, the minister said.

It is important to understand what will happen to the school funding system, Melbarde stressed. Last year, the Education and Science Ministry proposed a completely new system - Program at School. Melbarde is now "thoroughly studying" the essence of this reform.

"The basic framework is right, because for the first time it says how much a quality education costs for each child. There are details that still need to be discussed," the minister said. Melbarde wants to make sure everything has been done to streamline the school network, as the new model is currently being made more expensive by a large number of small schools.

Melbarde's third priority concerns methodological work in schools. "It is fair to say here that the implementation measures were not properly planned as the School 2030 program was introduced," she said. Schools lack the basics - methodological materials, textbooks.

"When working on reforms, we must not forget the basics. In this third direction, I want the shortcomings of the reforms implemented in the past to be addressed," the education minister stressed.