Estonian Language Board head: shift to Estonian-language schools took far too long

Ilmar Tomusk, who has headed the agency formerly known as the Language Inspectorate and now called the Language Board for nearly 31 years, has looked back on his career and Estonia's long path toward Estonian-language education. He was recruited in 1995 by then-Education Minister Peeter Kreitzberg, who wanted someone unconnected to the rival Tallinn and Tartu linguistic circles to calm ongoing disputes, largely over funding for language-related initiatives.

Tomusk explained that after serving in the Soviet army, he unexpectedly trained as an Estonian-language teacher for a Russian-language school after a university dean noticed his potential. In the 1980s, Estonian held a marginal place in Russian-language schools, and many teachers of the subject did not themselves speak it well.

A decades-long legislative process

The first parliamentary decision to move toward Estonian-language education was adopted back in 1993, with a deadline of 2000, but it was repeatedly postponed. The transition began in upper secondary schools in 2011, while a genuine shift in kindergartens and basic schools only started following a decision at the end of 2022. New teacher qualification requirements took effect in 2024, finally making Estonian-language proficiency a formal qualification requirement — previously, principals could not dismiss teachers over language skills alone.

According to the Language Board's latest data, 97 percent of general education teachers required to hold C1-level Estonian meet that standard. In kindergartens, about 95 percent of teachers meet requirements, but only 50-60 percent of assistant teachers do. In Ida-Viru County, a salary bonus tied to Estonian proficiency has drawn hundreds of teachers to local schools, making them attractive workplaces, though this has made it harder to find Estonian speakers for other municipal jobs.

Tomusk, in his final months leading the agency, said he never saw himself as an executive or manager but rather as a partner to colleagues in a small agency with fewer than 20 employees.