Latvia has a Development Education Strategy!

Latvia’s development stakeholders adopted Latvia’s Development Education Strategy for 2008-2015 on April 3rd 2008.

The strategy was the result of a process spearheaded by the Latvian NDGO Platform LAPAS that began with a seminar in August 2007 at which representatives of the Ministry of Educations Center for Curriculum Development and Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vidzeme University College, the University of Latvia, Liepaja Academy of Pedagogy, UNESCO Latvian National Committee and many leading Latvian NGOs discussed the vision for Latvia vis a vis development education for 2015 – the year that Latvia chairs the EU presidency.

This was followed by a series of discussions with stakeholder groups: teachers, media representatives, policy makers, those active in adult education, and the academics in which the groups identified the knowledge, skills are necessary for different stakeholders so that by 2015 they are able to play their role in the global development process. The groups also suggested priority actions to achieve this.

Latvia’s Development Education Strategy for 2008-2015 sets out the goals, performance indicators and basic directions for action. The strategy will be published on the LAPAS website and will be used as an advocacy tool until the government decides on adopting an official version of the document.

Ingrida Mikisko, Head of the Development Education Working Group of the Latvian NGDO Platform - LAPAS (Director of the Latvian Adult Education Association) represents Latvia in the Development Education Forum and will present the Latvian strategy to this CONCORD working group.

Visit the LAPAS website at: http://www.lapas.lv/

Information provided by Mara Simane, LAPAS