Estonia's ninth-graders increasingly seek extra maths tutoring before final exams
Estonian students finishing basic school are increasingly enrolling in paid courses in mathematics and Estonian. Interest has grown further after last school year's confusion over upper secondary school admissions.
A growing number of ninth-grade students in Estonia, who are completing basic school, are taking additional courses in mathematics, Estonian and other subjects. Basic school final exam results affect admission to upper secondary schools. At the end of the last school year, many graduates struggled to find places, and some learned where they would study only at the start of the new school year. The situation was reported by ERR, Estonia's public broadcaster.
Demand is rising
The exam preparation school at Tallinn University of Technology offers ninth-graders courses in Estonian, mathematics and physics. Its head, Aet Karolin, said interest began rising a couple of years ago, when changes to the final exam schedule were introduced. She said there are more ninth-graders this autumn, although age groups are also larger because of demographic trends, and there is a noticeable sense of anxiety. Mathematics is the most popular course and the university's main priority. Demand for Estonian instruction is also growing, especially with the transition to Estonian-language education, but the school lacks the capacity to help everyone.
The Gustav Adolf Training Center offers courses in mathematics, Estonian, physics and English. Its director, Irene Andresson, said mathematics has long been in higher demand, and it has risen slightly further after this summer's confusion over upper secondary admissions.
Reasons and costs
Andresson cited teacher shortages and frequent staff turnover as possible factors. Karolin added that teachers report declining concentration among children, and pointed to large classes in Tallinn and perhaps Tartu, as well as students of very different abilities sharing one classroom. Some course participants have no trouble with mathematics but want more confidence. The courses are group lessons rather than individual tutoring. In Tallinn, courses lasting from a few months to half a year typically cost around €200, so not everyone can afford them.
The ministry's view
Hele Liiv-Tellmann, chief expert in the Ministry of Education's department of early childhood and basic education, said it is a concern if students do not get the support they need at school and must seek paid alternatives. However, the ministry lacks enough data to conclude that students take such courses because they have not mastered school material. In her view, schools should be the first to identify a need for support and provide it together with the student and parents. Support should not begin only in ninth grade, and basic education should not be reduced to exam preparation.
