RIGA - Valdis Dombrovskis, Latvian Prime Minister to-be and Education and Science Minister Tatjana Koke agreed on a 46.75 million lats (66.52 mln euro) reduction of education funding, the minister told journalists.
Teachers' salaries will be cut by 20 percent, which means that a full-time teacher's wage will decrease by 60 lats on average.
Earlier, Dombrovskis had proposed to slash education funding by 69 million lats.
Total allocations to local authorities for teachers' salaries will be cut by 34.5 million lats, while funding to education programs will be reduced by 12.25 million lats.
"This leaves us in a very hard situation, but it does not mean that we will not work on the quality of education, only the targets will be balanced with the existing resources. Local authorities say the administrative staff of the schools ought to be reduced substantially," Koke said.
The minister pointed out that the total amount of student loans for the next academic year will be raised by 11 million lats and there will be more scholarships, although their size will remain unchanged.
"I would like to encourage the young generation not to be afraid to strive for education," the minister said.
In Koke's words, seven schools will be closed and 22 restructured ahead of the new school year.
"I think that students will not lose from that... the network of school will become optimal enough... Both teachers and students will benefit from that," Koke said, indicating that both conditions and salaries could be improved by cutting, for instance, heating and electricity bills.
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