Religion as subject are not compulsory

Under article 6 of the Law of Religious Organisations in state and municipal schools, Christian religion may be taught to persons who have expressed such a wish in a written application. Applications by minors to be taught Christian religion shall be approved of by parents or guardians. If the minor is under 14 years of age, the minor’s parents or guardians submit the application.
Religion as a subject and other non-traditional religion subjects, such as Judaism, are not compulsory in Latvia. Each school may offer these subjects as electives. The standard in these subjects is formed through the coordination with the Ministry of Science and Education. From September 1, 2004, either ethics or religion will be offered as compulsory subjects to grades 1-3, where the parents of pupils have to choose one of the subjects mentioned beforehand. Ethics is offered as an alternative to the religious instruction.
Christian religion, in accordance with the curriculum approved by the Ministry of Education and Science, may be taught by teachers of Evangelic Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Old Believers or Baptist denominations, if no less than 10 students of the same school have expressed their wish to study the religious teaching of the relevant denomination. The teachers shall be selected by the denomination’s leaders and shall be approved by the Ministry of Education and Science. Since 1998, the Law is supplemented by part 5 of the article 6, which provides that religious teaching and ethics classes are financed from the state budget. In 1998, the Government provided funds for this education, 100,000 Ls (i.e. 210,000 USD). Students in state-supported national minority schools also may receive education on the religion "characteristic of the national minority" on a voluntary basis. Other denominations may provide religious education in private schools only.
The contents of the education is regulated by the Law of Education, adopted in 1998.