Eleven years of school enough for A-levels

Latvian Education Minister Rolands Broks is planning to cut the schooling required to reach A-level standard from twelve to eleven years. The national-conservative daily Neatkarīgā rīta avīze approves: "There are many arguments in favour of this transition. The demographic situation in Latvia is catastrophic, and therefore it makes a lot of sense to cut schooling by one year, for this lengthens people's potential working life. ... The only serious counter-argument would be proof that young people are better prepared for university and a career after twelve years rather than after eleven. Only that's not true: Experience has taught us that aptitude for study depends more on the kind of school, on the teachers and on the pupils themselves. If they haven't succeeded in learning how to learn after eleven years, there is little reason to hope that a miracle will occur in just a year and young people will catch up precisely in this twelfth year."

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