The society of future will invest its capital in acquiring knowledge, it will be the society where one is taught and one learns; it will be the society in which each individual himself forms his professional qualification. In other words - it will be the society learning.

(The European Commission. The Blank Book. Teaching and learning - the way towards an Educated society. ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels, Luxembourg, 1995)

1. AN ACCOUNT ON THE PROBLEM

The strategic aims of the Concept ( till the year 2010 ) are:

accessibility of higher education and stable development of the institutions of higher education;

the system of higher education that serves the needs and the abilities of the Latvian State and is competitive enough within the international scale;

formation of an opened and democratic society here in Latvia here developing the higher educational system;

Rapid changes have taken place in the system of higher education of Latvia after the resumption of independence - new higher educational institutions have been founded, in particular the growth of the number of higher educational institutions founded by the juridical persons is characteristic for Latvia now ; new branches of studies are formed, the contents and quality of the programmes of studies are more often estimated in accordance with the standards internationally comparable and oriented towards a regional development. The rapid growth of the number of students and the institutions of higher education has allowed to pass the crisis in the development of higher education that was observed in Latvia in 1993.

The possibility of the development of a new crisis is a trait of near future because of the growth of the number of students for 2.6 times during the last 4 years, the crisis can be provoked by the uniformity and parallelism of the types of higher educational institutions and the programmes of studies as well as an extremely narrow specialization, not enough professionality and the decline of one's area of authority and discrepancy to the needs of the labour market as well as non - effective usage of the means of the state budget for performing the tasks put to the institutions of higher education.

18900 young people were matriculated during their 1st year of studies in 18 institutions of higher education founded by the state here in Latvia here in academic year 1997 / 1998 ( for comparison - there were matriculated only 6996 students there in 1993 ).The total number of students reached 57423 in these state institutions of higher education, i. e. ,2.2 % of the total number of the inhabitants of Latvia ( 51 % of them making payments or partial payments for their studies ). 6781 person or 10.5 % of the total number of students in the state (64204 students ) were studying in the 15 institutions of higher education established by the juridical persons. Nevertheless Latvia still lays behind the small states of the Central Europe and the Nordic countries in which the proportion of the studying is from 2.4 % to 3.9 % of the number of inhabitants. The number of the institutions of higher education has tripled during the last 7 years, the private institutions of higher education have been established, there are such state institutions of higher education there where the students are making payments or partial payments for their studies ; nevertheless any reconstruction of the materio-technical resources has not taken place, the number of the teaching staff - especially that one of the professors - has not changed or has become even less, the change of the teaching staff is not satisfactory.

2. THE FORECAST OF THE CONSEQUENCES THAT APPEAR IF THE QUESTION IS NOT SOLVED

2.1 The Economic and Political Consequences:

the development of the national economy of Latvia and the competitiveness of the state in the markets of Europe and world will continuously decrease, an amount of qualitative services and exports will drop;

the actual integration of Latvia in the European Union will clear the way for professionally higher qualified man - power from other countries in the labour market of Latvia in those branches in which Latvia will not have its own man - power qualified enough;

the dependence of Latvia on the production and services of other countries will increase; the same about the proportion of the most talented young people and the scientists leaving Latvia;

2.2 The Social Consequences:

the crisis of confidence to the educational system of the state will become even deeper, the same is to be said about the prestige of the education and science being one of the impulsive forces in the development of the state;

the discrepancy of the educational system to the system of employment in the state will increase as well the proportion of the young people in the category of unemployed ones;

the social tension and unsteadiness in the society will grow with increasing the proportion of the young people among the people who are socially indigent;

3. DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROBLEM, STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND PRINCIPLES

3.1 The Principles

There are two aspects of the strategic missions of the development of higher education pointed out in the National Concept there, namely - the long - term missions and the short-term ones. The restructuring of the educational system is to be carried out right now and appropriate financial means are to be invested in order to achieve the economic growth and the social assurance - those being the long-term missions; the short - term missions for the time being are : to avert the stagnation in those branches of the educational system that do not meet the requirements of the market economy and information - those being the demands of the society advanced by regarding the aspect of knowledge, skills and abilities as well as to lessen the negative tendencies of the transition period - the spontaneous formation of programmes and new institutions of higher education, the lack of uniformity and duplicating the programmes of studies.

The tasks are subordinated to achieve the 3 strategic aims mentioned in the account on the problem:

regular increase of the number of students in the academic year 2005/2006 it being 50000 or 25% of the number of inhabitants related to the definite group of age in the institutions of higher education founded by the state;

a reform of an administration of the academic and professional programmes as well as a reform of the contents of them in order to assure their quality and effectiveness;

a differentiation of the types of the institutions of higher education and the programmes of studies, an accelerated development of the professional higher education;

an accelerated and purposeful formation of a young generation of teaching staff and scientists including in the process the previous stages of the education as well;

3.2 The Orientators for the Development

The development of the institutions of higher education is oriented on the growth of the number of students who are studying using the means of the state budget. By the year 2005 it must reach 25 % related to the definite group of age (by the time being it reaches only 19 %); it can be achieved by the differentiation of the types of the higher educational institutions and programmes of studies laying stress on the development of higher professional education and the college - type higher education. The number of students had to increase per 4% a year beginning with the academic year 1996 / 1997 in order to reach the number - 50000 - in 2010 that would assure the development of the state. In comparison with the previous year the increase is 2.3 % or 709 students now - during the academic year 1997 / 1998. When planing the state budget for the needs of higher education steady tempos of increase are to be planed beginning with the academic year 1999 / 2000.

3.3 Politics of Financing

Financing assigned to higher education is used to pay the academic and the rest staff, to make payments for the services received, the public utilities as well as to purchase books and magazines, to obtain teaching aids, equipment for laboratories and apparatus, to pay grants and recompenses of transport.

The prices of power resources have grown considerably during last 5 years and in connection with this the expenses that have been prescribed to pay for those resources have grown as well.

The financing from the state budget allotted to higher education has increased per 26% from 1995 till 1998; at the same time the expenses for purchasing power resources have grown per 60.8%.In connection with this pay for power resources makes considerable part of the structure of expenses provided for higher education and means of providing for the process of studies are lost. So in the settings of the programme "Higher Education" worked out by the Ministry of Education and Science the average usage of the means of the state budget for purchasing books and magazines was 0.2% per year in 1996 and in 1997,no teaching aids and equipment as well as properties were obtained by the help of the means of the state budget at all (the properties are meant the value of which is higher than Ls 50,- per unit).

In order to realise the politics of financing the following aspects are to be ensured:

3.3.1 the number of students is not allowed to be less than 250-300 per 10000 inhabitants;

3.3.2 high quality of teaching the students;

3.3.3 high-qualified teaching-staff and the system of the renewal of it;

3.3.4 the materio-technical basis of the institutions of higher education corresponding to modern demands;

3.3.5 establishment of progressive educational methods (forms);

3.3.6 strict system of estimation of quality (self-estimation and examination);

3.3.7 reconstruction of teaching-system in accordance with the demands of modern labour market;

3.3.8 student's development as a personality;

3.3.9 insurance of infrastructure of science in higher educational establishments and integration of science in higher educational establishments;

3.3.10 arrangement of infrastructure of the institutions of higher education taking measures in order to economize power resources at the same time;

3.3.11 insurance of the students' social support.

3.4 The Principles and Measures of Financing

3.4.1 Higher education is to be oriented on all-round training making use of modern technology of information and one's skills to estimate the information procured using the knowledge obtained under new conditions. The training of students is to be oriented on solving problems, on development of thinking, not on intensified orientation to concrete working place that would link with limited feasibilities of the process of training. The matter is of great importance, especially under the circumstances when the state is in the process of development with priorities and the demands of labour market not yet clearly pointed out. Higher education is to be oriented on the perspective labour market.

3.4.2 Financing of the institutions of higher education by the help of the means of the state budget is to depend on the students' demands for places of studies in the definite higher educational establishments. The higher educational establishments compete for the places of studies paid from the state budget. The financing of the places of studies is to be done in accordance with the normatives of financing ("Estimation of Means Necessary for Institutions of Higher Education"-appendix).

3.4.3 The possible integration of the institutions of higher education, faculties and separate units into larger ones is to be carried out by rationalizing the programmes of teaching decreasing the number of contact-lessons at the same time as well as production overheads and increasing possibilities of linking different specialities and subjects, ensuring students' participation in realization of programmes -any stage of realization of programmes -simultaneously with the established system of credit points of studies. The system of students' registration is to be organized in the institutions of higher education. The optimization of the premises for everyday use is to be carried out.

3.4.4 Personal interest of the institutions of higher education to attract the private financial means is to be promoted ensuring more elastic dealing with the means obtained taking away too strict limits on behalf of the state making financing and internal turnover of the means of the higher educational establishments more transparent.

FINANCING OF HIGHER EDUCATION
(MILLIONS OF Ls)
 

Year State Budget* Services Payable (% of the state budget*) Total % of GDP
1995 20.3 3.9 (19.2%) 24.2 1.18
1996 23.1 3.6 (15.6%) 26.7 0.98
1997 23.4 6.6 (27.8%) 30.0 0.98
1998 25.6 8.4 (32.8%) 34 1.02
 

* - subsidy of general incomes, including the means granted for investments.

3.5. The Means and the Ways of Realization.
 

more effective usage of the means of the state budget and the material resources of the non-higher educational state research institutions;

attraction of material financial means to pilotprojects in order to renew and to modernize the informative basis and to ensure the quality of studies of the institutions of higher education;

the differentiation of the programmes of studies and the types of the institutions of higher education, the differentiation of the length of studies and the qualifications of the final stages of studies, the introduction of the ratios of payments of the programmes of studies;

improvement of the quality of the academic staff of the higher educational establishments ensuring election of professors and associated professors in accordance with the demands of the clauses 28, 30 of the " Statute of the Institutions of Higher Education";

the introduction of the crediting system of studies in the institutions of higher education connecting it with the participation of the students and the state in the repayment of studies in the state institutions of higher education;

the increase of the state budget for an accelerated formation of young generation of teaching staff by the help of the institutions of higher education;

4. CREDITING OF STUDIES,VERSIONS OF DEVELOPMENT

The students who have passed the competition for the places of studies payable may receive credits from the means of the state budget or the means of the crediting institutions with guarantees of the state.

In connection with low solvency of inhabitants the pay for studies in numerous programmes of studies is determined to be considerably lower than real expenses of studies. If an opportunity will be given to the students to receive credits from the means of the state budget or from the means of the crediting institutions with guarantees of the state in order to cover their tuition the institutions of higher education will be able to determine the tuition that are much closer to the real costs and the number of students will not decrease in connection with this. It is a problem for numerous inhabitants of Latvia to pay even partial tuition today, but if it will be possible to receive some credits for one's studies the students will continue their course of studies with success.

4.1 The 1st Version of Solving.

The means of the state budget are used for crediting studies. The Fund of Studies that has been founded to reach this aim prescribes the necessary means for crediting studies in the project of the state budget conformable to the definite year when the information has been received from the Ministries (under the management of which the higher educational institutions are) about the number of the persons who are taking credits as well as taking into consideration the forecasts about the possible number of the students-credit takers.

4.1.1 The Principles of Crediting Studies

  1. crediting of studies, as the Concept sees it, is giving the credit (loan) in order to cover one's tuition,

  2. credit for studies is given to the students who are studying in the higher educational institutions as well as to those ones who are engaged in the programmes of studies of the higher educational institutions founded by the juridical persons,

  3. credit for studies is approachable for studying in abroad as well - 2%-3% of total amount of financing for crediting of studies is assigned to these studies,

  4. students who are doing well in their academic (bachelor's, master's) or professional programmes of studies or are studying as doctors or residents have their rights to receive the credits. One may receive such a credit for no longer time than it is prescribed in the programmes of studies,

  5. the extent of the credit given does not exceed the extent of tuition,

  6. the person who takes the credit is absolutely responsible for repayment of the basic sum as well as the interest in due time,

  7. credit is paid off of the means of the state budget for those credit-takers who begin their working lives in definite state and governmental establishments and professions in accordance with agreements signed and work there for the definite number of years,

  8. the interest rate of the credits served out reaches 5% per year. The services of the crediting establishment connected with credits, attendance and repayment are paid from payments of interest.

4.1.2 The Positive Traits of Crediting Studies when Using the Means of the State Budget

  1. free channelling of the means of crediting to those programmes of studies that are of great importance for the development of the state but the prestige of which is low in the labour market,

  2. additional financial resources are attracted to higher education of the state and in connection with this the higher educational institutions are able to obtain the necessary means for their development.

4.1.3 The Negative Traits

  1. remarkable amount of the means of budget is necessary for crediting studies

  2. the crediting establishments that attend those credits of studies are not directly interested in recovering the credit sums granted.

4.1.4 The Financial Means Predictable

32880 students are studying paying partial or full tuition in academic year 1997/98.The possible number of credit takers would reach 20% of all the studying during 2 years. In connection with this the necessary financing would be : 32880 x 0.20 x 600=Ls 3945600 per year till the beginning of repayment of credits.

4.2 The 2nd Version of Solving

The means of crediting establishments are used for crediting studies.

4.2.1 The principles of crediting studies

  1. crediting of studies, as the Concept sees it, is giving the credit (loan) in order to cover one's tuition,

  2. credit for studies is given to the students who are studying in the higher educational institutions as well as to those ones who are engaged in the programmes of studies of the higher educational institutions founded by the juridical persons,

  3. credit for studies is approachable for studying in abroad as well - 2%-3% of total amount of financing for crediting of studies is assigned to these studies,

  4. students who are doing well in their academic (bachelor's, master's) or professional programmes of studies or are studying as doctors or residents have their rights to receive the may loan. One can receive such a credit for no longer time than it is prescribed in the programmes of studies,

  5. the extent of the credit given does not exceed the extent of tuition,

  6. the credits are granted by the crediting establishments - by their means of financing,

  7. the person who takes the credit is absolutely responsible for repayment of the basic sum as well as the interest in due time,

  8. crediting establishments have their rights to ask for certain guarantees on behalf of the credit taker: the warranties of other physical or juridical persons, the life insurance of the credit takers etc.,

  9. the interest rate of the credit of studies that is to be granted is defined during competitition. The competition is organized among crediting establishments in order to obtain the right to credit studies. The credit taker pays 5% for use of credit but the spread between the interest rate of crediting establishment and 5% is covered by the state.

4.2.2 The Positive Traits when Attracting the Means of Crediting Establishments for the Crediting of Studies

  1. not means for granting the credits for studies in full size are to be prescribed in the state budget. The means are necessary only to cover the spread between the interest rate of the crediting establishment and 5% paid by the credit taker in order to use the credit,

  2. the interest rate of bank in credits for studies can be 9%-12% now. The spread between 5% paid by the student and this rate is 4%-6%,average rate being 5%,

  3. the responsibility for credit risk is assumed by the crediting establishment itself; it is interested in recovering the means given as credit,

  4. additional financial resources are attracted to higher education of the state and the institutions of higher education are able to obtain the means for their development.

4.2.3 The Negative Traits

The crediting establishments will grant the credits only to those students who will be able to guarantee the repayment of the credits. They will be the students who will acquire the specialities of particular requirement in the labour market. In connection with this these students will receive the guaranties from their future employees that they will be ensured with well-paid working places or the employer himself will guarantee the repayment of the credit.

4.2.4 Predictable Financial Means

The potential credit takers would be the students who acquire the programmes of studies of navigation, justice, different programmes of studies of business, the programmes of studies of international tourism. Taking into consideration the strict conditions of receiving credits for one's studies the number of credit takers will not be large - that will not exceed 200-300 people.

The crediting will not be of large quantities. The insignificant sums received as credits that will be paid to cover the tuition in the higher educational institutions will not be able to influence the common financing of the higher educational institution. The means necessary for covering the spread of per cents ( 5% ) between the interest rate of the crediting establishment and 5% makes Ls 12000, i.e.,300 x 800 x 0.05

5. THE MAIN STRATEGIC APPROACHES CONCERNING THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN LATVIA TILL THE YEAR 2010

5.1. To ensure the average increase of the number of students financed by the state budget about 4% a year reaching 50000 students in 2010 that would correspond to 25% of students from the inhabitants of the conformable age in the state.

5.2. It is necessary to increase the proportion of higher professional education planing that the number of students in the programmes of higher professional education will reach 40 % of the total number of students in the institutions of higher education founded by the state in the year 2005. The differentiation of the existing types of the institutions of higher education is to be carried out as well as the improvement of the structures of staff corresponding to them and administration of the programmes of studies, a creative competition is to be promoted among the institutions of higher education the quality of education being the main criteria.

5.3. To allot the financing from the state budget not less than 1.8 % of the GDP to higher education in accordance with the increase of the number of students and the existing level of the most developed European countries.

EXPENSES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION ( % OF GDP & Ls PER A STUDENT )
IN THE STATES OF OECD IN 1992
 

STATE EXPENSES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION ( % OF GDP )
PER A STUDENT ( Ls )
Denmark 2.0 5681
France 0.9 2673
Ireland 1.3 2651
The Netherlands 1.8 5634
New Zealand 2,0 3714
Austria 1.2 4291
Finland 2.2 6043
Norway 1.4 4498
Sweden 1.6 9934
Germany 1,0 3688
Canada 2,4 3290
U. S. A. 1,3 2516
Average 1,6 4551
 

Approximate expenses for higher education are 1.6% of GDP of the definite state (the average amount of the states of OECD).

5.4 To turn to the financing of the institutions of higher education giving subsidies per a student accordingly to the programme costs including:

5.4.1 financing for assurance of maintaining and development of the institutions of higher education;

5.4.2 financing for teaching and studies as the normative financing in accordance with the ratios of costs of the programmes of studies and the number of students;

5.4.3 financing for the researches assuring studies and for the terms of practice;

5.4.4 financing for the renewal of the materio-technical basis and the infrastructure of higher education and for the assurance of a fastened renewal of the academic staff in the programmes of studies for obtaining doctor's degree;

5.4.5
financing of the transition period in order to ensure the necessary work of the scientific institutions integrated in higher educational institutions.

5.5 To develop the programmes of education of all the 8 under-categories in the degree of higher education in accordance with the "Classification of Education of the Republic of Latvia".

The improvement of the programmes of the professional studies is to be connected with one's practice and the future places of work. It is advisable to work out the programme of the forming of professional colleges and higher professional education as well as the necessary budget financing for the formation of the basis for teaching and practice. It is especially necessary to develop in fastened tempos 3 types of the professional programmes:

5.5.1 practically-oriented programmes of short-time studies in the colleges of higher education;

5.5.2 the programmes of mid-length studies in the professional institutions of higher education;

5.5.3 the programmes of studies of higher professional education (the institutions of higher education of the type of university) and the programmes of the additional education.

5.6 It is advisable to use two types of divisions - the university type of higher education and the non - university type of higher education in the statistics of higher education for classification, internationally comparable, regarding the university type of higher education being:

5.6.1 the academic education the obtaining of which means the obtaining of the bachelor's degree, the master's degree or any other degree equivalent to the academic degrees obtained in the institutions of higher education abroad;

5.6.2 the higher professional education in the programmes or institutions of higher education of the university type. It is necessary to admit that the professional programmes of the studies of the university type that are based on a wide foundation of general education in the humanities and academic sciences are to go on during the period not less than 4 years, parallel to academically oriented programmes of studies; the academic standardised part in the above mentioned programmes makes not less than 80 credit points; the professional programmes of studies of the university type are connected with science and research. It is necessary to change the legislation prognosticating a possibility to continue directly the studies for obtaining the master's and doctor's degree after graduating the professional institutions of higher education of the university type.

5.7 The non - university type of higher education is:

5.7.1 a degree of the professional higher education of a short period of studies (2- 3 years) after finishing of which one can obtain a certificate of qualification in a certain speciality;

5.7.2 a degree of professional higher education of medium duration (3 and more years) obtained in the professional institutions of higher education together with the diploma of professional qualification. The demand is- to classify the programmes and sub-categories of an education in strong accordance with "The Classification of Education of the Republic of Latvia" (1997).

5.8 To improve the system of statistics of education forming a co-ordinated system with the countries of EU, corresponding to "The Classification of Education of the Republic of Latvia" and the international demands including an automatized transmission of the data among the Ministry of Education and Science and all the institutions of higher education of Latvia as well as the programmes of studies, the registers of the academic staff and the students.

5.9 More and more means will be necessary for the process of development of the university type of education to reach the level of scientific quality, it is inevitably connected with the process of modernization and progress of education and science. Therefore it is necessary to balance an economically endurable and qualitatively corresponding demands, planing it till the year 2005.17% of the number of students involved in the basic studies continue them in order to obtain the master's degree each year. The number of the students is correspondingly 50% of the number of students involved in the basic studies in the universities. Not less than 4% of the students continue their studies in order to obtain the doctor's degree (the number of the students is mentioned regarding October 1-st of the 1-st year of studies in the institutions of higher education founded by the state).The number of the students learning in the institutions of higher education (the state budget means) and their division into 9 groups of subjects of education is to be planed in accordance with "The Classification of Education of the Republic of Latvia" and the orientation of the state of Latvia in the development of higher education towards the model of the most developed European countries of social orientation (Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Belgium, the Netherlands).

5.10 In order to assure the quality of studies and indivisibility of research and accordingly to the remarkable increase of the number of students in the period after 1993,it is necessary to increase the number of professors working in the institutions of higher education, it being their principal work, at least for 1.5 times, to elect the professors and associated professors in accordance with "The Statute of the Institutions of Higher Education" beginning with the academic year 1997/98.The number of professors in the universities is to be not less than 17% of the number of the academic staff.

5.10.1 In order to assure a normal process of renewal of the academic staff and to form the national professorship it is necessary to open the programmes of studies for obtaining the doctor's degree by financing the special purpose programmes every year with the help of the Councils of Grants of the universities formed for planing the number of the candidates for the doctor's degree and the groups of professors for directing the programmes;

5.10.2 To form a system of self-appraisal of the quality of studies in the institutions of higher education developing the process of self-appraisal and forming it to be the foundation for an international accreditation and assessment system of the quality of studies in the institution of higher education;

5.10.3 It is advisable to pass over to an internationally comparable mono-stage system of the scientific degrees of the doctors during the 2 nearest years improving the level of the doctor's scientific and general academic area of authority promoting the demands for obtaining the doctor's degree in science;

5.11 It is advisable to use the following scale of salaries for the full-time workers of the academic staff:

5.11.1 the professorate salary - Ls 350.00 ( 100% );

5.11.2 the associated professor's salary - 80% of the professorate salary;

5.11.3 the associate professor's salary - 80% of the associated professor's salary;

5.11.4 the lector's salary - 80% of the associated professor's salary;

5.12 To fasten the arranging of the process of integration of science and higher education determining a formation of two kinds of the institutions of higher educational establishments:

5.12.1 the institutes as the structural units of the establishments of higher education (faculties) in the frames of subject groups or spheres (branches or sub- branches of science);

5.12.2 the institutes as legal independent units including the structure of the scientific centres of the state importance;

5.13 To form the National Fund of the social grants for indigent students and the National Fund being the support of education for the foreign studies of the most brilliant students;

5.14 The teaching staff for the stage of higher education and the teachers for the general-secondary education are to be prepared only in the universities or in the institutions of higher education equal to them giving to the students knowledge and skills in the pedagogic and didactics in the universities;

6.TIME SLICES OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONCEPT

6.1 Transition to Crediting Studies (part 4, the versions of development of crediting studies):

6.1.1 elaboration of the necessary legislation and resolutions in the academic year 1998/1999;

6.1.2 foundation of the Fund of Studies,1999;

6.1.3 gradual implementation of crediting studies- beginning with 1999;

The Ministry of Education and Science admits crediting of studies to be an optimal version that is to be developed further using means of the state budget (The 1st version of the 2nd appendix).

6.2 Approbation of higher professional education type (college education) - till the year 2000;

6.3 Elections of professorate in accordance with the demands determined in clause 28 of the Statute of Higher Educational Institutions - till the year 2003;

6.4 Elections of associated professors in accordance with the demands determined in clause 30 of the Statute of Higher Educational Institution - till the year 2003;

6.5
Transition to financing the higher educational institutions by the help of grants per a student according to the costs of the programmes of studies - till the year 2005;

6.6 Accreditation of all the programmes of studies and all the institutions of higher education:

6.6.1 accreditation of the programmes of studies of social sciences - till the year 1998;

6.6.2 accreditation of the programmes of studies of the humanities - till the year 1999;

6.6.3 accreditation of the programmes of studies of engineering - till the year 1999;

6.6.4 accreditation of the programmes of studies of agricultural sciences (agriculture) - till the year 2000;

6.6.5
accreditation of the programmes of studies of medical sciences - till the year 2001;

6.6.6 accreditation of the programmes of studies of natural sciences - till the year 2001;

6.6.7 accreditation of higher educational establishments as the institutions - till the year 2002;

7.THE DESCRIPTION OF THE NECESSARY DEEDS OF RIGHTS

7.1 The Ministry of Education and Science is to assure the working-out of the normative documents that are necessary to perform the strategic guidelines and tasks put forward in the basic theses of the Concept:

7.1.1 the Statement of the Work of the Cabinet about crediting studies;

7.1.2
the Statement of the Work of the Cabinet about financing the higher educational institutions determining financing per a student in accordance with the costs of the programmes of studies.

7.2 To add to the statutes and legislation and resolutions of higher education and science concerning:

7.2.1 the length of studies;

7.2.2 the colleges of higher education;

7.2.3 the professional education and the teachers' education;

7.2.4 the procedure of the tuition fee - the part that is incurred by the state and that one - incurred by the students;

7.2.5
the crediting of the students and paying off the credit;

7.2.6 the regulations of the procedure of managing the property of the institutions of higher education and the control of its usage as well as making the property mentioned above tax-free;

7.2.7
the institutes of the universities, the Councils of Grants for obtaining the doctors' degrees, the programmes of studies and the salaries of the academic staff;

7.2.8
a unified system of registration of the credit points of the programmes of studies and the European system of transferring the credit points.

7.3 To harmonize "The Statute of the Institutions of Higher Education" with "The Statute of Education", "The Statute of Professional Education" and "The Statute of General Education" after accepting them.

Appendix

FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS NECESSARY FOR THE HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

The volume of means necessary for the institutions of higher education can be calculated by the help of methods worked out by the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) "The procedure of covering by the state the tuition for those studying in the institutions of higher education". The methods point out the costs of studies of a separate individual to be the basis; the costs are calculated for more inexpensive programmes of studies (for administrators), but the costs of the rest programmes of studies are calculated by multiplying the costs of more inexpensive programmes of studies with the ratio of costs of conformable programme of studies.

With the ratios of costs of studies (table No.1) different costs for different programmes of studies are taken into consideration. Studies of engineering and natural sciences request for laboratories- additional premises, equipment, apparatus, stuff, e.g.; it forms additional expenses: purchase of equipment, maintaining order, insurance of operation. More inexpensive programmes of studies, e.g., justice sciences, social and behaviour sciences, on the contrary, do not request for such laboratories with complicated equipment. The ratios of the costs of studies are put into practice in numerous countries. Analogical ratios of the costs of studies for financial projections are put into practice in Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic and other countries. The relative costs of different programmes of studies in connection to one another are correlatively unchangeable and this proportion remains the same in the ratios of the costs for studies of different countries - table No.2 reflects the budget projections necessary for institutions of higher education that are under the authority of the Ministry of Education and Science (MES). In order to align with the "ceiling" of the budget defined by the programme "Higher Education" the ratios of the costs for studies are to be lessened essentially. If the optimal costs of ratios for studies are used for budget projections (the last column of the table No.2) then the necessary financing is about 40% - 50% larger than the costs defined in the budget.

The projections show that the financing for higher education is to be accordingly larger (about 40% - 50%) than it is now. It is confirmed by the analysis of the expenses of the institutions of higher education, as well; it is seen here that an essential part of the costs are formed of the costs for power resources but the means for insurance the process of studying are lessened extremely and the means for development of the basis of higher educational institutions are not planed at all.

THE CONCLUSION

The Council of Higher Education has worked out the foundations of this Concept. The working group under the guidance of Dr. habil. oec. Baiba Rivza, the assistant members being:
Egons Lavendelis, Dr. habil. sc. ing.
Janis Cakste, Dr. chem.
Peteris Cimdins¸, Dr. habil. biol.
Juris Zakis, Dr. habil. phys.
Talis Millers, Dr. chem.
Juris Bundulis, Dr. chem.
Arnolds Klotins¸, Dr.art.
Andris Glazitis, Dr. med.
Atis Kapenieks, Dr. phys.
Janis Eglitis, M. sc.
Maris Eglite, B. sc.
Velta Vikmane, Dr. philol.
had handed them in for an accept in the Ministry of Education and Science; the Concept was accepted during the meeting of the governing body on March 3,1998 after discussion in the Department commission as well as in the work commission. This Concept is advanced to the Cabinet being a result of a common work of the Council of Higher Education and the Ministry of Education and Science. "The National Concept of the Development of Higher Education and the Institutions of Higher Education of the Republic of Latvia" had been reviewed during the meeting of the Cabinet of the Republic of Latvia on July 28, 1998 and accepted as known there.

 

 

 
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