Hundreds of teacher assistants leave Estonian kindergartens due to language requirements
Language requirements have forced hundreds of kindergarten teacher assistants in Tallinn and Narva out of their jobs, leaving institutions with a difficult task of recruiting and training new staff.
Shortage in Tallinn
In Tallinn, tightened language requirements have led to the departure of hundreds of workers. Deputy mayor Andrei Kante says the city currently lacks about 100 teacher assistants, possibly slightly more. According to him, 300 assistants did not meet the language requirements, and 301 people left their jobs. In total, around 400 employees left, because about another 100 resigned for other reasons or while moving from one kindergarten to another. At the same time, the system has managed to hire 90 new people.
Kante acknowledged that kindergartens are welcoming staff whose only advantage is knowledge of the language, while professionals who did not acquire the language were forced to leave. This gap has to be filled by kindergarten directors, who must teach new workers pedagogical methods on the spot. He noted that the situation is close to a crisis, but he believes it can be overcome, especially since there was a two-year transition period.
Narva dismisses more than a hundred assistants
A similar situation has emerged in Narva, where the city terminated contracts with more than a hundred kindergarten teacher assistants in a single day. Larisa Degeyl, head of the culture department at the Narva city government, says this was not a surprise, as the picture had been clear for several months. In October 2025, Narva kindergartens employed 206 assistants, of whom 79 met the requirements, 75 were studying, and 52 had a language level below B1 and were known not to study. Therefore, the termination of 108 contracts was not unexpected.
Degeyl admits that the shortage of qualified staff is obvious, so the city had to look for creative solutions for accelerated training. In cooperation with Tartu Health College, a training group for kindergarten staff will be organised from September. The first meeting attracted 60 interested people, although the group has only 20 places, showing strong interest.
An experienced assistant's story
Lyudmila, a teacher assistant in a Narva kindergarten who already has a B2 level, would like to become a teacher herself, but has failed the C1 exam eight times in more than eight years. Her last attempt was last September, when she struggled with the listening section, for example on a difficult astronomy topic. She is upset that young teachers with C1 immediately get a full position and a high salary, while experienced assistants have to teach them practical work without extra pay. Management, such as the head of studies, has no time to monitor adaptation.
Background
In connection with the transition to Estonian-language education, the government clarified language requirements for education workers on 25 July 2024. From 1 August 2026, kindergarten teacher assistants must have Estonian at B2 level, and from 1 September 2026, teachers in international programmes must have B1. Education Minister Kristina Kallas stressed then that the quality of education in Estonian directly depends on the language proficiency of education workers. Previously, assistants only needed A2 level.
