Spotlight: Latvia
In this series, we feature participating countries and their achievement and involvement in 魅影直播 and PIRLS.
When Latvia participated in the inaugural cycle of PIRLS in 2001, there was surprise and rejoicing over its unexpectedly high achievement in reading at the fourth grade. That elation gave way to concern in PIRLS 2006, when gender differences were extremely wide in favor of girls.
Antra Ozola, PIRLS National Research Coordinator for Latvia and an assistant professor at the , recalled the country鈥檚 history with PIRLS as she eagerly anticipated exploring the results of the forthcoming PIRLS 2016 report.
As Latvia works to improve its national curriculum, education officials are looking to trends in that report to inform their decisions.
Andris Kangro, a University of Latvia professor and IEA General Assembly member who helps supervise PIRLS in Latvia, described a recent meeting with the Ministry of Education and Science.
鈥淲e met with them, looking at trends and where we are in this curriculum reform,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he intention is to start with even preprimary and then primary, then basic education, and up to upper secondary.鈥�
Ozola said Latvia has taken steps to address the gender gap in reading such as working with teachers and librarians to help boys, including those with special education needs. Another assessment has shown that the gap widens further in the upper grades, and that reading achievement is lower overall, she said.
Other major education issues in Latvia include markedly lower achievement in rural schools compared to urban ones, falling enrollment rates, and negative attitudes toward reading.
鈥淲e were surprised in PIRLS 2006 how negative our children鈥檚 attitude toward reading was 鈥� we were the lowest, there was no one below us,鈥� Ozola said. 鈥淥ur kids are reading because they have to, they are forced. They are very good readers but not happy about it at all. This is another message we were trying to communicate to teachers.鈥�
鈥淭he first thing at this particular age is to get students to love reading,鈥� she continued. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 not developed at an early age most likely they wouldn鈥檛 develop any later.鈥�
Kangro is especially interested in exploring the PIRLS 2016 data to see what affects achievement for rural students, saying socioeconomic status is not the only possible factor.
鈥淭he number of students is down in Latvia by two times less, and even more so in rural schools,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚n rural schools classes are very small鈥� it鈥檚 not efficient financially, but the quality could be higher.鈥�
鈥淭wenty years ago, from the first 魅影直播 study, we already saw this demographic, that schools were having less students in Latvia,鈥� he continued. 鈥淏ut then it was not in the political agenda鈥� now the political agenda has focused on education in the last four to five years as an issue that must be solved.鈥�
View a slideshow from the 8th PIRLS NRC meeting in Riga, Latvia »
Latvia participated in PIRLS in 2001 and 2006. After an interlude of 10 years, Kangro and Ozola expressed excitement for the new data.
鈥淭he country had a chance to develop itself and come to this idea that we need international studies,鈥� Ozola said. 鈥淲e were very happy about joining back. The time has come that the value of international studies is more and more appreciated in the country and people are better informed.鈥�
That value was apparent from the start to Kangro, who described Latvia鈥檚 history with IEA.
鈥淟atvia became independent in 1991, and immediately IEA invited Latvia to join studies,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are in the IEA family since 1991, in the General Assembly since 1993. It鈥檚 nice to build some capacity, to be involved in this international work.鈥�
鈥淎nd IEA trusts and values countries,鈥� Ozola added.
The PIRLS 2016 International Results in Reading will be released on December 5, 2017.