Latvian schools face shortage of hundreds of teachers

With only two weeks remaining before the start of the new school year, many Latvian schools still have not filled key teaching positions. Nationwide, more than 300 teacher vacancies remain open, with the shortage particularly acute in science and math subjects.

Searches coming up empty

Lubāna Primary School has still not found a chemistry teacher, despite posting the vacancy on social media and contacting educators in its own and neighboring municipalities. If no candidate is found, the school is considering busing students to a nearby school twice a week or offering remote lessons — though both options bring complications, from transport costs to the difficulty of conducting hands-on lab work. The situation is further complicated by the fact that after losing its secondary-school status, Lubāna can only offer a chemistry teacher four lessons per week, not enough for a full workload.

Cesvaine School faces a similar problem, lacking a math teacher. Principal Didzis Baunis says warning signs of the looming shortage have been visible for more than 15 years, yet the problem remains unresolved and keeps worsening.

Searching for solutions

One approach is inviting retired teachers back to the classroom — Cesvaine has already managed to bring back one such teacher this way. Madonas municipality currently has around 20 open teaching positions in total, fueling growing competition among schools and municipalities for qualified staff; some offer not only salary but also insurance and housing to attract candidates.

School leaders say pay is not the only factor behind the shortage — rural teacher salaries are generally seen as fairly competitive. Instead, constant reforms in the education system, along with attitudes from parents and students, are cited as reasons pushing teachers away from the profession.