TV show “Kaimiņš no novada” highlights Ogre State Gymnasium as a model modern school

The latest episode of the show “Kaimiņš no novada” features a visit to Ogre State Gymnasium, where host Artuss Kaimiņš talks with the school's principal, Inna Zeņkeviča. Much of the conversation centers on what a genuinely modern school looks like and how it functions, since the building was designed around current educational-environment principles.

The gymnasium's new building opened its doors to students on September 1, 2023. The project stands out because the learning environment was essentially designed from scratch, with planners accounting from the start for laboratories, varied teaching formats, large shared spaces, and rooms built to serve multiple purposes.

A transformable hall

One of the school's standout features is its large hall, built on an accordion-like principle. Between the main assembly hall and a universal-use auditorium sits a transformable acoustic partition — when needed, the two spaces can be combined into one larger hall, and each also has its own separate exit to the school's inner courtyard. Both spaces are equipped with large LED screens, used for lectures and presentations as well as major events such as graduation ceremonies.

While the building itself is new, the principal notes that the gymnasium's history actually stretches back 30 years — the school, with its own long story, has simply moved into modern new premises.

Extensive teaching facilities

In the show, Zeņkeviča also walks through other parts of the school, including a STEM block where students study physics, chemistry, biology and natural sciences, as well as theater, music and art classrooms, and modern chemistry labs designed for safely conducting experiments.

More details on the investment required to build the school and other specifics are available in the full episode.