Latvia is determined to build on its progress in education
by Andreas Schleicher Director, Directorate for Education and Skills In the 2012 PISA test, urban students in Latvia outperformed rural students by the equivalent of more than a year of schooling – half a year more than the average performance difference between these two groups of students across OECD countries. According to a new OECD report, Education in Latvia , giving equal access to a quality education, for students of all ages, must be a priority. Latvia has made remarkable progress in improving its education system since independence in 1991. Children now start their education at a young age – younger than in many OECD countries – and many continue into tertiary education. Student performance has also improved significantly since 2000, to the point that Latvian students scored near the OECD average in the 2012 OECD Programme for International Student Assessment ( PISA ). Will Latvia be able to continue this positive trend? Yes, but only if the country raises its teaching standa...