LATVIA – Education and Science.
«Education Outlook» is the world’s most important report on the quality of education processes in OECD member and partner countries. The report provides data on the structure, finances and efficiency of education systems. The theme of this year’s review is higher education. The report also assesses the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on education systems, analyses education finance and provides data on the teaching profession.

According to the Latvian Ministry of Education and Science, data from the report on education presented by the OECD in Riga on Wednesday, 5 October 2022, show that despite economic and social advantages in the labour market, many students do not graduate on time or do not finish their studies at all.
Graduation rates compare the number of new students at the beginning of a study programme with the number of graduates after the theoretical duration of the programme. In Latvia, the bachelor graduation rate is 48%, which is the lowest among the countries for which data are available. The graduation rate for short-term or college programmes is also relatively low at 58%.
The report also shows that employees of Latvian higher education institutions tend to start their careers relatively late due to the length of training required to obtain their qualifications.
Only 4% of teachers in Latvia are younger than 30 years old, which is lower than the OECD average (8%). In contrast, the share of teachers aged 50 and over is 48%, 8 percentage points higher than the OECD average.
The annual OECD education survey is important for education policy planning.
This makes it possible to see the effectiveness of Latvia’s education system, to compare it to the education systems of other countries, and to organise a nationwide discussion with policy planners, researchers and practitioners about the national context and the most important factors influencing various educational processes, as well as to reflect together on current issues and the most effective policy initiatives based on the data.