RIGA, March 19 (Xinhua) -- All schools in Latvia have suspended face-to-face classes and switched to distance learning amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, but not all students in the Baltic country have the equipment necessary for distance learning.
The Latvian Education and Science Ministry said at a news conference Thursday that approximately 3 percent of school kids, especially those attending small rural schools, do not have personal computers, tablets, smartphones or internet connections available at home.
To deal with this situation, the ministry issued an appeal to Latvia's telecommunications services providers and retailers of mobile devices, asking them to provide the equipment children need to learn at home.
Two mobile operators -- LMT and Bite Latvija -- have already pledged 5,000 mobile devices to the schoolchildren, also promising to provide free of charge calls and internet connections, while other telecommunications companies also expressed willingness to help out.
The Education and Science Ministry has also asked the government to co-fund distance learning while Latvia's schools remain shut.
