Riga State Gymnasium No.1

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Riga State Gymnasium No.1
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Riga State Gymnasium No.1

Riga State Gymnasium No.1 (Latvian: Rīgas Valsts 1. ģimnāzija), the oldest school in the Baltic states, offers secondary education (grades 7 to 12) in Riga, the capital of Latvia.

The school was founded in 1211,[citation needed] a decade after the foundation of Riga itself. Its name and language of instruction have changed several times during its history. Latvian became the main language of instruction in 1919.

Today, the gymnasium is known for its strong programs in the natural sciences, mathematics and computer science. Students wishing to enroll at the school take an admissions test in mathematics. Its admissions rate, with as many as six candidates competing for each position, is one of the lowest in the country. Since 1997 the school enrolls 30 to 40 people in its International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme each year, where instruction is offered in English. It was the first school in the Baltic states to offer the IBO Diploma Programme.

A number of people well known in the Latvian history and Latvian politics have graduated from the school, among many others the writer and poet Rainis and former prime minister Einars Repše.

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