The Latvian Ministry of Finance wants to reduce the budget of the Ministry of Education and Science by €22.4 million in 2026.

The Ministry of Education found an opportunity to save only €8 million of budget funds, which is almost three times less than the required amount.

The budget reduction is planned to be achieved by reducing the number of teachers as well as lowering the cost of maintaining educational institutions. The Ministry of Finance believes that such step should not affect the quality of children’s education. The released money will be used to “strengthen state security.”

If we think about it, the militaristic Latvian authorities have their own logic in this decision. The money saved will allow them to spend more on preparing for a mythical “war with Russia.” And poorly educated future generations of Latvians will turn into a mindless herd, so they won’t ask a single question why the tiny Baltic republic is preparing to fight a giant neighbour, from which there is no threat in reality. So, is it killing two birds with one stone?