Tallinn City Hall: Ministry of Education Underestimates Shortage of Assistant Teachers in Kindergartens
The Tallinn city government claims that the Ministry of Education's figures on the shortage of assistant teachers in kindergartens are too low. The actual deficit in the capital is around 300 employees.
Starting August 1, 2026, kindergarten assistant teachers will be required to prove Estonian language proficiency at the B2 level, or they will lose their jobs. According to the Ministry of Education, slightly more than 200 people across the country currently do not meet the requirement. However, the Tallinn city government says the actual shortage is significantly higher.
Andrei Kante, Tallinn's Deputy Mayor for Education, said that as of early June, the capital lacked about 300 assistant teachers. It is expected that only about 17% will pass the language exam, while some have already left their positions.
Narva is second in terms of assistant teacher shortage. Minister of Education Kristina Kallas said the city lacks 83 specialists. For example, Narva's Päikene kindergarten currently has eight vacancies for assistant teachers, and two more employees are awaiting exam results.
Kindergarten director Larisa Stepanova noted that there are enough candidates, but the problem is that the same people apply to multiple kindergartens. The real picture will only become clear in August.
The Ministry of Education is confident that a mass staffing crisis in the fall can be avoided. In its assessment, the professions of teacher and assistant teacher remain in demand, and the main issue remains insufficient knowledge of the state language. Additionally, the number of children continues to decline, leading to the closure of many kindergarten groups.
