RIGA, June 15 (LETA) - Principals of Riga schools have sent an open letter to the top state officials and Riga City Council, demanding that the problem of the shortages of teachers in Riga educational institutions be urgently addressed, as Teika High School Principal Guna Pudule informed LETA.

School principals claim in the letter that the situation is catastrophic. In addition, the demands on teachers are increasing and new functions are being added every year.

Various reforms and changes are still taking place in the content and process of education, as well as in the management and administration of schools, without taking into account the current crisis, says the letter.

The letter says that, in order to continue the education process, school management addresses the shortages of teachers by increasing the existing teachers' workload, which leads to burnout.

As a result, principals of Riga schools call on the relevant institutions to address the problem immediately.

According to the letter, the Education and Science Ministry must ensure compliance with the Labor Law in relation to teachers, as well as consider making education free of charge for students who are planning to become teachers.

In the meantime, Riga City Council must increase the municipal supplement for teachers' work fivefold, says the letter. The municipality is also asked to consider reducing real estate tax for teachers, 100 percent discount on public transport, lower utility bills for teachers, as well as launch special programs for high school students to prompt them to become teachers.

School principals emphasize that they are open to negotiations and cooperation in order to arrive at the best solution together.