News from the Ombudsman’s Office: March 2025
News and events of the Ombudsman’s Office in March 2025 (information in links mostly available in Latvian).
Ombudsman replies: Can a school not accept a child with mental or behavioural disorders?
Unwilling to take on additional difficulties, a school refuses admission to a child with mental disorders. Can it do so and to what extent is it justified? In this case, two different situations must be distinguished. The first, if the child has not yet been enrolled in the chosen school, then the refusal must be clearly and legally justified. Second, if the child is already enrolled in a particular school, it is not entitled to ask the parents to choose another school.
Marathon of Lectures on Elections
During the year of municipal elections, representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office will visit several schools all over Latvia in the ‘Ready for Life’ project to inform young people about the importance of elections in a democratic society, the citizen’s right and duty to vote, the possibility of choosing parties and other election-related issues.
Ombudsman replies: Can one work with seniors in a social care centre without speaking Latvian?
Is it allowed for an employee of a social care centre or nursing home to be unable to communicate with its residents in Latvian? In this case, the answer is clear and unambiguous: no, without knowledge of the official language, neither the state or local government, nor a private social care centre can work with clients.
Quality of municipal rental housing has improved over the last 10 years and the ‘housing queues’ have decreased
The Ombudsman has periodically assessed the availability and quality of free residential premises to be rented by local governments. In conclusion, the quality of such housing has improved significantly compared to a decade ago. On 1 March this year, 4 779 people were waiting in the ‘housing queues’.
Compensatory mess in restrictions on real estate rights – study reveals loopholes in regulatory framework
The legislation regarding restrictions on dealing with immovable property and compensation is not complete and orderly. It is fragmented, not aligned with all sectors involved, in many cases it lacks proportionality in setting criteria on restrictions and consistency in setting compensations. This is revealed by the study ‘Mapping real estate encumbrances and compensations’.
Artificial intelligence in universities: lack of digital skills and tools for a high-quality study process
Universities in Latvia lack digital skills to efficiently use the benefits of AI technologies. This is true for both teaching staff and students, and not just for regional universities. Economic inequality poses additional challenges: not all universities can afford to use the latest AI systems at a time when technologies are developing fast.
Sexual harassment or ‘NO = NO’
Sexual harassment is not only the result of individual misconduct or individual incidents: it is an expression of a broader cultural and institutional framework characterised by gender inequality, insufficient responsibility and, often, silence on the part of victims. The Ombudsman’s extensive research reflects not only the extent and specificity of sexual harassment problems in universities in Latvia, but also deeper structural problems affecting society in Latvia and Europe.