Estonia's new school year: over 235,000 pupils and students begin classes
On September 1, 235,627 pupils and students started the new academic year in Estonia, including nearly 15,000 first-graders. The education ministry highlighted several shifts in enrollment patterns.
Estonia began its new school year on September 1, with 235,627 pupils and students returning to classes. General education schools currently enroll about 163,000 children and teenagers, a figure that has remained stable in recent years. The education ministry notes that without the extension of compulsory education to age 18, the number of students would be lower.
Nearly 15,000 children started school for the very first time today. In upper-secondary gymnasium graduating classes, 8,600 young people began the year, while 48,000 students entered higher education.
Fewer foreign students
Estonian universities currently have 3,900 foreign students, a number that has declined in recent years. The education ministry attributes this to the security situation and related restrictions.
More young students in vocational schools
25,000 people began the year at vocational schools. The share of younger students there has grown, as a large number of children were born in Estonia between 2008 and 2011 and are now nearing the end of basic school. At the same time, only a third of vocational school students are adults aged 25 and older — the lowest such share in the past 10 years.
