Latvia's higher education funding remains below that of its Baltic neighbors, prompting concerns from education representatives during a parliamentary committee meeting.
During a meeting of the Saeima's Education, Culture and Science Committee, representatives from the higher education sector expressed their dissatisfaction over Latvia's inadequate funding for higher education, which they claim lags behind that of other Baltic states. Andris Teikmanis, chairman of the Higher Education Council, pointed out the lack of available data showing if any country has not yet reached the 2008 funding level for higher education. He highlighted that Latvia still falls short of this crucial benchmark, which he described as quite painful.
In contrast to the situation in higher education, funding for science is reportedly improving. Teikmanis indicated that if the science budget reaches approximately 98.7 million euros by 2026, it will exceed the funding levels of 2008, thus signaling a better trajectory for the scientific sector. This collision of funding trajectories illustrates a dichotomy where higher education continues to struggle while science funding is on a path toward recovery.
The presented data from the Higher Education Council indicates considerable advancements in state budget allocations for higher education in Lithuania and Estonia. Lithuania's funding has increased from 369.989 million euros in 2023 to a projected 635.206 million euros in 2026, while Estonia's allocation is also set to rise significantly from 241.3 million euros to 322.5 million euros during the same period. This disparity highlights the urgent need for Latvia to reassess its educational funding strategies to remain competitive in the Baltic region.
