Only a handful of pupils to start the school year at some Estonian rural schools

Several small rural schools in Estonia will begin the new school year next week with only a handful of children enrolling, according to examples from various municipalities. Local governments have spent years reorganizing school networks in an effort to keep schooling accessible near children's homes, but with pupil numbers falling, the question of preserving these small schools remains pressing.

Setomaa municipality

The Meremäe school in Setomaa municipality once operated as a full secondary school; today it is the smallest of four teaching sites within the unified Setomaa school, with just 26 pupils in total and only two children starting first grade this autumn. Setomaa schools' director Pille Liblika says the municipality is committed to letting children study close to home at least through sixth grade, and for a third consecutive year the schools in Mikitamäe and Meremäe have remained open. Much, however, depends on whether the municipality, as the schools' founder, can continue funding their operation. Parents also stress the importance of keeping schools nearby, noting that minors, unlike students, cannot travel and manage independently. Small schools are similarly valued in Jõgeva County, where residents say teachers in small classes can give more attention to each child.

Jõgeva and Peipsiääre municipalities

In Jõgeva municipality, around 130 children will start first grade this autumn, but the Laiuse school will have no first-graders this year since the building is under renovation. Officials expect eight to twelve first-graders there next year, with a similar number possible the year after. Jõgeva municipality elder Karro Külanurm noted that the question of what happens in five or six years is one facing every municipality with a shrinking population.

In Peipsiääre municipality, the village of Kolkja will not open a kindergarten group for the first time this year, and only two children will start first grade at the local school. Closing the Kolkja school is not currently planned, as it is seen as playing an important role in preserving the local Old Believer community's culture. Acting school director Aitel Käpp said the school helps pass local traditions on to the next generation. Peipsiääre officials note that changes to the school network remain possible in the future, with an analysis of the situation expected to be completed by spring.