Riga Classical Gymnasium represents a state-funded, co-educational, full-time, day school, which offers educational programmes for children of all nationalities. It can be named among the most prestigious and largest multicultural schools in Latvia.

We aim to provide our students with qualitative holistic education, inspiring them to achieve the best results in their studies and become multilingual, tolerant and highly educated citizens of the world, successful in any profession they will choose later in life.

Riga Classical Gymnasium is often viewed as a model for other schools and we continue our pedagogical research to maintain our high standards. Having the status of methodological centre in Riga, we are interested in sharing and exchanging our experience with colleagues in Latvia and abroad. State institutions and our colleagues are always welcome to cooperate with Riga Classical Gymnasium, and we are proud to name the State President Mr. Valdis Zatlers, the Mayor of Riga Mr. Nils Usakovs and representatives of the Ministry of Education and European Commission among the honourable guests of our gymnasium.

The number of students at Riga Classical Gymnasium has been either constant or growing over the past years. Currently, the school has about 1,300±10 students, aged 7 to 19. The school year begins in September and finishes in May.

The curriculum of Riga Classical Gymnasium is developed according to the humanistic approach to teaching and traditions of classical education, especially concentrating on the study of languages and mathematics. The curriculum is also based on the idea of ”Creative Universum”, introduced by Dr. Alijevs and aimed at developing natural gifts and talents of every student.

Riga Classical Gymnasium offers a trilingual education in the Latvian, Russian and English languages. Thus, English is introduced as the language of instruction in many subjects, starting from grade 5, and our senior students in grades 10 to 12 are able to use all the three languages actively in their studies. In general, English as a foreign language is offered to students starting from grade 1, the second foreign language (optional German or French) is offered starting from grade 4 and Latin is among compulsory subjects, starting from grade 10 in our gymnasium.

Riga Classical Gymnasium is famous for its Centre of Bilingual Education, which functions as a regional coordination and methodological centre, publishing methodological literature and organising courses and seminars for educators. It should be mentioned that Riga Classical Gymnasium was the first educational institution to develop and implement the model of bilingual education in Latvia and promote the acquisition of the Latvian language in schools. Therefore, the primary purpose of the centre is to educate and assist other institutions in successful implementation of the model.

Our gymnasium is well equipped with computing facilities and modern technologies. Various lessons are often organised using IT technologies in specially equipped computer rooms. There are three well-equipped computer rooms with Internet access available for our students. In addition, there is a multimedia room with an interactive board, and a large library, equipped with PCs that have Internet connections. Wireless Internet (WiFi) access connections, available in more than 70% of all rooms in our gymnasium, allow our teachers and students to be online almost in any room.

All our students have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities at the basic school level. There are language clubs, workshops and seminars, organised on the basis of various subjects such as art, history and literature. Most of our students appreciate the opportunity and take active part in this extracurricular work.

Our students also engage in research activities starting from grade 9. Research represents an obligatory part of the curriculum for the students of grades 10 to 12, and they conduct their researches in various fields such as linguistics, humanitarian and exact sciences.

We prepare our students to be successful in studies and achieve the best results in their chosen career. Every year, about 90 students finish our gymnasium and enter prestigious universities and high schools in Latvia and abroad.

When speaking of the education system in Latvia, it can be said that Riga Classical Gymnasium corresponds to the well known category of public grammar schools in the UK, or high schools and college preparatory schools in the USA. There are two main educational levels in Latvia: nine years of compulsory basic education, including primary school for students aged 7 to 15 and three years of general secondary education for students aged 16 to 19. Upon the acquisition of the general secondary education programme students receive the Certificate of General Secondary Education.

Additional information on the education system in Latvia

• Ministry of Education, Education system in Latvia
• International Association of Universities, IAU Online Databases

Today, at least 30 % of our alumni study at the universities in the UK and other European Union Member States, Scandinavia and the Russian Federation. We are planning to extend this geography, and send our students to the best universities in the United States of America, Australia and Canada.

Traditionally, our gymnasium takes part in various international projects, such as Comenius in cooperation with Poland, Lithuania and Estonia, and cooperates with schools and other educational institutions in Germany, Russia and other countries abroad. Our school participates in an education and exchange programme for teachers developed in the context of a multicultural integration project. The Otto Beneke foundation in Bonn is an honourable partner of our school.

Address

Purvciema Street 38, Riga, Latvia, LV-1035.
School Secretary: (+371) 67-570-888, e-mail: rklasg@riga.lv