In addition to the democratic values of the Government of Estonia, Article 38 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states the obligation to provide complete aid to children affected by war.According to the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia, everyone has the right to education.
Schooling is compulsory for school-age children to the extent specified by law. A child with a foreign citizenship who is of-age for compulsory education has the obligation to attend compulsory schooling in Estonia.
It is important to acknowledge that among the families arriving from the areas of the armed conflict in Ukraine, there are those who come to Estonia only for the duration of the war and wish to return home as soon as possible, as well as those families who plan to stay in Estonia for a longer period.
We will provide children and young people from Ukraine with opportunities to continue their education based on a short-term and long-term plan. In the case of the short-term plan, there is no clear expectation that the student will continue their studies in Estonia on a permanent basis, but the preconditions are set. The aim of the long-term plan is to integrate children into the local education system.
The Estonian Constitution gives parents the right to decide on matters concerning their child’s compulsory schooling. This decision includes the time of stay in Estonia, the language of instruction and the language or cultural space with which one is associated. Educational institutions and school administrators can give parents advice and introduce possibilities to help them make informed decisions.
When providing learning opportunities, we must also take into account the fact that not all people arriving from Ukraine are necessarily Ukrainian speakers, but have other mother tongues, including Russian.
We prefer to offer children and youth arriving to Estonia from Ukraine opportunities to continue their education in schools with Estonian as the language of instruction. If the parent wishes, they can also choose schools with Russian as the language of instruction.
Contacts
- Education advisory service - information on vocational training and study opportunities at the Freedom School. For information you can call the advisory office 735 0575 or write to noustamine@hm.ee.
- Ukrainian-language psychologists' helpline 116006 open to calls every day from 16-20.
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You can find the most up-to-date information on the security situation on Estonian Government website kriis.ee. For questions, contact the helpline 1247.
Attending kindergarten is not compulsory in Estonia. The local government is responsible for the availability of pre-primary education. They have the obligation to ensure that all children between the ages of 1.5 and 7 in their service area, whose parents so wish, have the opportunity to attend kindergarten. With the consent of the parent, the kindergarten place of a 1.5-3-year-old child may be replaced by a childcare service.
To apply for a kindergarten place please contact the local government. They will explain the admission conditions to you and provide an overview of the required documents based on the procedure established by the parish or city government.
Applying for a kindergarten place begins with submitting a written application to the kindergarten or local government of your choice. If there is a vacancy in the desired kindergarten, the child will be accepted.
If there is no vacancy in the desired kindergarten, the local government will forward a notice of the child to the Ministry of Education and Research.
In cooperation with local governments, we will try to ensure a school place for all children of-age for compulsory education coming from Ukraine as soon as possible.
After a child has arrived in Estonia, the parent can write an application to the local government or to a school. The rural municipality government or the town government has a duty to provide basic education for all children of compulsory school age who live within the territory of the town or municipality.
Following the completion of primary education, a person can choose to study at an upper secondary school to receive a general secondary education or move on to a vocational secondary school and obtain a general secondary education as well as a vocational education.
Obtaining an upper-secondary education is not mandatory in Estonia. The duration of studies is usually three years in an upper secondary school as well as a vocational school, but a few vocation education curricula are longer. Secondary education is mainly aimed at students who wish to continue their education at a university, while vocational school graduates are ready to enter the labour market.
A network of vocational schools as well as upper secondary schools covers all of Estonia. Every county has at least one state-funded upper secondary school and vocational school. A flexible study opportunity is also provided by adult secondary schools, which offer a non-stationary learning pathway. A non-stationary learning pathway allows students to finish their studies at a their own pace. The percentage of independent study is much higher compared to the stationary learning pathway. General education can be obtained in the non-stationary learning pathway at the Haapsalu Vocational Education and Training Centre, Rakvere Vocational School, Võru County Vocational Training Centre and Järva County Vocational Training Centre.
Secondary education is based on the national curriculum for upper secondary schools, while vocational education is based on national curricula covering various specialities. A vocational education graduate usually completes a specialised vocational examination at the end of their studies. In order to graduate from an upper secondary school, a person must pass five final examinations, three of which are state examinations and practical work or a research paper. Enrolment is flexible this spring, with both upper secondary schools and vocational schools concentrating on activities focused on the students’ needs as well as the introduction of the education process.
The school will help a person decide which curriculum and learning pathway is most appropriate for their future studies. Firstly, to continue your studies in the right speciality for you, we recommend contacting a career advisor at the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund (tel. 15 501; Skype: tootukassa; e-mail info@tootukassa.ee) to gain insight regarding which vocational schools allow people to continue the studies they started in Ukraine. The first step can be the choice of profession curriculum, which focuses on helping you make future decisions regarding your education. Groups have already opened at the following educational institutions: Haapsalu Vocational Education and Training Centre, Ida-Virumaa Vocational Education Centre, Luua Forestry School, Pärnumaa Vocational Education Centre, Rakvere Vocational School, Räpina School of Horticulture, Tallinn School of Service, Tartu Art School, Tartu Vocational College, Valga County Vocational Training Centre, Viljandi Vocational Training Centre, Võru County Vocational Training Centre.
If a secondary education is obtained, and a person wishes to continue their studies in a vocational school, they can choose between various curricula which last between six months and 30 months. Obtaining a vocational education is available at both vocational schools and vocational universities (after obtaining a secondary education).
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Foreign-language curricula in vocational schools are primarily in Russian. Valga County Vocational Training Centre also has one English language curriculum (logistics). Wherever appropriate, there are other opportunities to develop new curricula in English in other specialities, such as house painting, pottery and so on.
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Schools can offer Estonian language studies to students on a project basis and as part of a vocational curriculum. Every Estonian county has vocational education schools and there are many specialities to choose from; the specialities are different in every school.
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Vocational schools also provide a learning pathway for students with special education needs, including mobility, visual, hearing and intellectual disabilities.
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Vocational training is also available to students who have obtained a primary education. For students who require special education, teaching is based on the student’s abilities and they will be helped with choosing their curriculum. If necessary, their studies will be adapted to the student’s individual needs and the student can receive counselling from specialists.
- Schools offer accommodation as well as catering. Students are entitled to academic leave, and they can receive grants and student loans under the conditions and in accordance with the procedure set in the Study Allowances and Study Loans act. They can also apply for a subsidy covering the cost of school meals and reimbursement of travel expenses between the educational institution and their place of residence. Vocational schools also offer leisure and recreational activities, including sports.
- If a student is uncertain about what speciality to study, then they can opt for the choice of profession curriculum in which key competencies are developed and various professions are introduced.
- Work-based learning, organised in association with employers, can be a suitable way of completing a speciality, with a large amount of the studies taking place as practical training in a company. The theoretical part is carried out in vocational school. Adult students can continue further vocational training courses in vocational schools as a flexible learning option.
The general requirement for admission to higher education in Estonia is a secondary education. Universities can establish additional admission conditions (for example – entrance examinations, state examination results or an interview).
If secondary education was obtained in a different country, then the Estonian ENIC/NARIC Centre (Academic Recognition Information Centre) will assess their ability to access higher education (also for foreigners who are unable to provide complete or partial proof of education).
Universities in Estonia provide education in Estonian, English or Russian.
Full-time study in Estonian is usually free of charge, except in private universities in which students must pay tuition. If a person wishes to start their studies in Estonian, then they can complete a free one-year in-depth programme for learning Estonian after their successful admission.
Study programmes in a foreign language usually require a fee. Ask the university for more information in regard to studying in Russian.
If a person began their higher education in Ukraine, then they can look for a similar curriculum in an Estonian university, so that they are able to transfer their previously learned knowledge and continue their studies.
Estonia has 18 higher education institutions: Six public universities, one private university, seven state funded vocational higher education institutions and four private higher education institutions.
Information regarding short and long-term opportunities for studies, including language studies for people arriving from Ukraine, will be provided by universities.
- Further information about learning opportunities is available at the Education and Youth Board of Estonia, info@studyinestonia.ee
Webpages of higher education institutions providing information to people arriving from Ukraine:
- Estonian Business School
- Estonian Academy of Arts
- Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre
- Estonian University of Life Sciences
- Tallinn University
- Tallinn University of Technology
- University of Tartu
- Tartu Health Care College
- Estonian Aviation Academy
- TTK University of Applied Sciences
- Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary
School children from an armed conflict area
It is very difficult for children and their families to come to Estonia from the crisis area. The classroom and school must be prepared to welcome children from the armed conflict area with a friendly and helpful atmosphere.
Explain to the other children that there is war in Ukraine, many fathers and brothers and friends have been mobilised, many have died and a lot has been destroyed. Families have left their homes and travelled a long way. They may only have a suitcase-worth of personal belongings with them. We do not ask the child about the situation in Ukraine. If the child wishes to talk, we are ready to listen and share their burdens.
We will provide the child with essential school supplies.
We will not punish children for breaking rules that have not been explained to the child and their family. We will not strongly enforce rules that are not a priority, such as notebooks being unlined, inside shoes not meeting the school's standards, binders of the wrong size.
Please note that the family may not immediately have access to the Internet, printing or other amenities at home. We will give homework only in writing on paper.
The first day at an Estonian school
- Agree in advance which of the students will be the new student's main helper and friend, helping them find classrooms, toilets, the canteen, etc. and doing all the daily activities with them.
- Show the new student the whole school building. Show them where everything is, how the doors lock and unlock. If there is anything with a code, test it out together.
- Give the student a timetable with the lesson times and room numbers. During the first weeks, the child may get lost in school. Ask their friend to make sure they get to the right place. Forgive them for being late.
- The main thing is that the child can continue as normal a school life as possible, while feeling safe and secure at school. Smile.
- Write a greeting on the board or door in Estonian and in the child's mother language “Tere tulemast meie kooli“ / “Ласкаво просимо до нашої школи“.
Last updated: 07.12.2023
