BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 17. Latvia’s national
cultural education initiative, “Latvijas skolas soma” (Latvia’s
School Bag), has been highlighted by UNESCO as one of the world’s
best practices in promoting accessibility, inclusion, and equality
in cultural and arts education, alongside examples from Estonia and
Norway, Trend
reports via the Latvian National Centre for Culture
The guidelines open with the statement: “Culture and the arts
are an integral part of inclusive, fair, and quality education.
They foster creativity, critical thinking, and respect for cultural
diversity, empowering learners to meaningfully engage with the
world and contribute to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful
society.”
The document underscores that equal access to cultural and arts
education is a core human right and a foundation for societal
well-being. Many children and young people worldwide still face
limited access—especially those in remote or socially disadvantaged
areas. For this reason, UNESCO recognized “Latvia’s School Bag” as
a strong example of how a nationwide system can make cultural
participation a right rather than a privilege.
“UNESCO’s recognition confirms that our approach — a long-term,
structured, and close collaboration between schools, artists, and
cultural institutions to make culture accessible to every student —
has become a global example,” said Aija Tūna, Head of the Latvia’s
School Bag program.
In addition to this new recognition, program experts have
actively contributed to the development, translation, and
implementation of the UNESCO Framework for Culture and Arts
Education in recent years, increasing Latvia’s visibility on the
European and international stage.
Representatives of Latvia’s School Bag have also participated in
the European Network of Observatories in the Field of Arts and
Cultural Education (ENO) meetings, as well as the ACEnet network of
European policymakers, officials, and academics. These discussions
have focused on how cultural education can strengthen peace,
sustainability, and social cohesion.
Since its launch in autumn 2018, Latvia’s School Bag has
provided state-funded opportunities for students to regularly
experience Latvia’s cultural heritage and contemporary arts —
including music, theatre, dance, circus, visual arts, cinema,
architecture, design, literature, and publishing — in connection
with school curricula.
Each school semester, more than 230,000 students participate in
at least one of 5,000 cultural events organized through the
program, which is administered by the Latvian National Centre for
Culture.
The program is featured in the publication “UNESCO Framework for
Culture and Arts Education: Implementation Guidelines”, available
at unesdoc.unesco.org.