The Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas emphasized that the quality of Estonian-language education depends directly on the language skills of the employees of educational institutions, and specifying the language requirements is necessary to ensure support for children and young people in kindergartens and schools transitioning to Estonian-language education. "The learning of the Estonian language and the shaping of the language environment are influenced by all people working in the field of education and education who come into contact with children on a daily basis," said Kallas.
Kindergarten assistant teachers are given two years to bring their Estonian language skills to the required B2 level. Until 1 September 2026, an employee assisting a teacher in a kindergarten may have an A2 level of Estonian language skills.
For teachers working on the basis of the international curriculum, who have worked in Estonia for at least five years, the requirement to speak Estonian at level B2 currently applies. Such a high level is not necessary for these employees to perform their duties, but to some extent they also need to know the Estonian language. The requirement for the knowledge of the Estonian language at level B1 will be established for teachers of international schools, as is currently required of academic staff of higher education institutions who teach in a language other than Estonian. The B1-level language requirement will be valid from 1 September 2026, i.e. until then, these employees will be able to bring their knowledge of the Estonian language to the required level.
Teachers working in general education schools, who teach in a language other than Estonian and who are required to speak Estonian at level B2, are given time until 1 August 2025 to bring their language skills up to the required level.
In addition, the language proficiency requirements for support specialists were specified, so that all support specialists working in Estonian must know Estonian at the C1 level from 1 August 2026, except for special pedagogues and psychologists, for whom this requirement already applies. So far, social pedagogues and speech therapists were not mentioned separately in the regulation on language proficiency requirements. Now it was specified that they too must know Estonian at the C1 level if they work in Estonian and bring their language skills to the required level within two years. Until then, they can continue to work in the office.
In addition to education workers, it was specified that the physiotherapist, midwife and nurse providing health care must have B2-level Estonian language skills, and the B2-level language requirement applies to all security workers in the future.
The government amended the regulation "Requirements for the knowledge and use of the Estonian language for civil servants, employees and self-employed persons", which was valid from 2011, and the "Vocational Education Standard", which was valid from 2013.
