Nearly a third of teachers in Estonian schools switching language of instruction lack qualifications
In Estonian schools moving to Estonian-language teaching, almost a third of teachers lack the required qualifications. Heavy workloads and limited pay make it harder to recruit and keep staff.
Almost a third of teachers at Estonian schools that are switching to Estonian-language instruction do not have the required qualifications. Heavy workloads and limited pay are making it harder to recruit and retain staff, the Estonian public broadcaster ERR reports. The changeover affects schools that previously taught mainly Russian-speaking students.
Burnout and departures
Tallinn's Ehte High School of Humanities moved to Estonian-language teaching in 2024 and hired 17 new teachers at the time. Since then, one in three has left. The school still recruits 10–15 teachers a year to replace those who retire and those who quit because of burnout.
Principal Marika Kranisver said that teaching students whose first language is Russian can take more effort, because teachers must adapt materials and help close gaps in language skills. Some teachers move on to schools with more native Estonian-speaking children.
Smaller bonuses
Higher pay has helped attract teachers, but tighter funding is limiting what schools can offer. Alina Braziulene, principal of Tartu Jogentaga School, said the bonus for qualified teachers was cut from 20 percent to 3 percent, because state support for Ukrainian students has ended and enrollment has fallen. According to her, a third of the school's students had come from Ukraine. When the school could no longer pay more, some teachers resigned. The number of teachers required to teach in Estonian has grown, while funding has not.
Workload and administration
Deniss Presnetsov, principal of Tallinn's Läänemere High School, said bonuses matter, but the school cannot give them to everyone, partly because some applicants lack the required qualifications. He added that teachers also deal with administrative duties, lesson planning and consultations on top of teaching. Young teachers often leave after a couple of years, and some after only one.
Estonia's Ministry of Education and Research recommends training to help teachers work with students whose first language is not Estonian. The ministry adds that, with the right methods, teaching Russian-speaking students is not necessarily harder.
