According to the Latvia’s Child Well-Being Barometer 2025 study presented by the Latvian Child Welfare Network, student satisfaction with the school environment in Latvia dropped from 7 to 6.4 points between 2017 and 2024. The findings indicate that school environments saw a more noticeable decline in teenager assessment than any other tracked area of life, including family, friends, health, and financial situation.
Academic Workload and Homework Pressures Rise
Data from the Latvian Child Welfare Network shows that academic demands on teenagers intensified over the seven-year period. In 2017, 20% of teenagers reported constant fatigue and overload at school, a figure that climbed to 25% by 2024. The shift regarding homework was even steeper: the proportion of students considering their homework excessive jumped from 37% to 54%, according to the study. Researchers note that a student’s attitude toward school is the factor most closely tied to their overall life satisfaction, with personal health condition ranking as the second most influential factor.
Psychological Climate and Support Gaps
The study highlights a deterioration in the psychological climate across Latvian schools. Fewer teenagers report enjoying classes or believing that teachers listen to them and treat them with respect. Compounding these issues, 41% of teenagers surveyed in 2024 admitted they do not know whom to turn to for support at school, leaving many children without clear access to adult help during difficult situations. Researchers also recorded an increase in bullying cases alongside worsening relationships among classmates. Conversely, the study identified some positive shifts, noting that more students reported having time to eat calmly and spend breaks actively during the school day compared to 2017 responses.
Parental Perspectives on Systemic Challenges
Parents surveyed in the report confirmed widespread structural issues within the education system. According to the findings, 40% of parents pointed to a lack of teachers as the most common issue. Additionally, 27% of parents cited insufficient quality of education, 22% mentioned a shortage of quality educational materials, and 20% reported that the school environment remained emotionally or physically unsafe. The report’s authors noted that data from the 2017 and 2024 iterations rely on different samples and survey methods, a factor that must be considered when analyzing the results.
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