Estonian commentary calls for clearer division of responsibility in schools
An opinion piece on Estonia's education system argues that schools are burdened with ever-growing demands while responsibility for outcomes remains blurred among teachers, parents, local governments and the state. The author calls for a public agreement on responsibilities by the end of the first school quarter.
As the new school year begins with first-graders posing outside schools with bouquets, society places conflicting expectations on schools — that children become smart, creative and able to think critically, while schools also safeguard mental health, prevent bullying, and prepare pupils for jobs that do not yet exist.
The commentary argues that the core problem in Estonian education is not merely a shortage of teachers, low pay or curriculum issues, but the erosion of clear responsibility. Depending on the situation, blame shifts among teachers, school principals, parents, local governments and the state, yet the school is always the one left holding the burden.
Overload and a crisis of trust
Teachers are expected to handle teaching, upbringing, paperwork, conflict resolution, communication with parents, projects and reports — all without corresponding relief elsewhere. This, the author says, explains why young people avoid the teaching profession and experienced teachers leave it; raising salaries alone will not fix a system that consumes people's time and dignity.
The relationship between schools and families has also shifted: schools are increasingly expected to justify every decision, while parents face no such requirement. Disagreements over grades or teachers' decisions increasingly end up in court, with expensive lawyers hired even for weak arguments.
The author stresses that inclusive education must not become a way of offloading responsibility onto individual teachers — children with special needs require that teachers themselves receive support, including support specialists and smaller class groups.
Three agreements are proposed as solutions: clearly naming who is responsible in each case, removing an old obligation whenever a new one is added, and establishing a graduated process for resolving disputes before they reach court. The author calls on the education minister, local governments, school principals, and teacher and parent representatives to reach a public agreement on responsibility by the end of the first quarter of this school year.
