Estonian municipalities prepare to search for teenagers unwilling to study
Starting from the new school year, compulsory education until age 18 comes into effect in Estonia. Local authorities and schools must find and retain in the education system those teenagers who do not wish to continue studying after basic school.
From the new school year, all young people in Estonia will be required to study until the age of 18. This means that local governments and schools will have to find and persuade those teenagers who do not want to continue their education after finishing basic school to stay in the system.
According to the Ministry of Education and Research, about 15,000 young people graduated from basic school this year. Of these, approximately 3,000 are still looking for a place to continue their studies during the additional admission phase. At the same time, about 4,000 places are available in educational institutions across the country.
Ülle Matsin, head of the ministry's department, noted that graduates may be in different situations. "For example, a student did not get a place in the main admission phase and must apply again. Or they did not submit any application at all – then it is necessary to contact the young person and their family," said Matsin. According to her, the ministry is in constant contact with local governments, where specialists responsible for enforcing the compulsory education requirement have already been appointed.
In Tallinn, about 1,100 basic school graduates still do not have a study place, but they still have the opportunity to enroll during the additional admission phase. The final number of young people who will not continue their studies will only be known in September.
Krista Kõdus, head of department at the Tallinn Education Department, acknowledged that the new obligation will be a serious challenge. "Currently in Tallinn, there are quite a few families who are registered in the capital but do not actually live here. There are also families abroad," she noted.
Tarmo Loodus, director of the Viljandi Vocational Education Center, believes that one of the main problems will be working with unmotivated teenagers. "The next serious challenge is finding specialists who can work with young people in need of support. It is well known that such specialists are simply lacking in Estonia," said Loodus. According to him, last year about 600 young people across Estonia did not continue their studies after basic school.
