Estonian transition-school students struggle more with math, experts say
PISA test results again show a persistent gap in math performance between Estonian-language schools and so-called transition schools, with experts citing language barriers and a teacher shortage as key causes.
Estonia's latest PISA test results have once again revealed a notable gap in mathematics performance between students in Estonian-language schools and those in so-called transition schools, which are shifting from Russian to Estonian as the language of instruction. Julia Korneicheva, a private tutor who left teaching a year ago, says many of her students — particularly sixth-graders — struggle with math primarily because of the language barrier.
One explanation offered is that extra teaching hours in Russian-speaking and transition schools have traditionally gone toward additional Estonian-language lessons rather than math, while Estonian-language schools tend to use similar reserve hours for extra math instruction. Education and Science Minister Kristina Kallas notes, however, that only two free lessons per week are involved, suggesting this alone cannot fully explain the gap — other factors are likely at play.
Teacher shortage deepens the problem
A severe shortage of qualified teachers compounds the issue. Tallinn deputy mayor for education Andrei Kante says many math teachers were trained under the Soviet-era education system, and their professional development has not been a government priority for years. Experienced teachers with strong methodological backgrounds are increasingly forced to leave schools, replaced by less qualified staff.
Starting next school year, the upper level of basic school in transition schools will also switch to Estonian-language instruction, which will further increase demand for math teachers. Tallinn is trying to address the shortage on its own, including talks with Tallinn University of Technology about involving well-trained students in classrooms.
Reading skills also declining
An even bigger concern is students' functional reading results, which are now at their lowest level since Estonia began participating in PISA testing. Experts attribute this partly to children spending increasing time reading English-language content and watching short-form video online, which reduces interest in reading in their native language. Minister Kallas stresses that Estonia's education system has faced deeper structural problems for a long time, and the shift to Estonian-language instruction is only one part of the solution — overall teaching quality needs to improve across subjects, including reading.
