Karis urges Estonia to listen to youth and invest in education

President Alar Karis called on Estonians to notice and trust young people and invest in education in his final speech marking Restoration of Independence Day, ERR reported. He said courage to question and take risks was needed for something new to emerge.

Marking the 35th anniversary of the restoration of independence, Karis recalled August 20, 1991, saying that people had their own memories of the day. He described the shared feeling of taking responsibility and making decisions as determination.

Karis also remembered people who helped restore Estonia’s independence and those who had grown up alongside the state. He mentioned Vello Enniste, who travelled to defend Toompea in 1991 at the age of 34 and later established a successful construction company, built nearly 1,000 houses and began passing his life’s work to the next generation.

He also highlighted Birgit Uibu, who was the same age at the time and turned 35 on Thursday. Uibu worked for several years in Australia, New Zealand and Denmark before returning to Estonia because of her desire to study and her education, Karis said.

“The determination shared by generations, nourished by memory, language and culture, has given us the strength to make it through a troubled time,” Karis said. He added that Estonia had remained entrepreneurial, free and open to new ideas despite uncertainty, superficiality, self-centredness, hardship and fear.

Ilmar Tomusk, director general of the Language Board and a children’s author, said language, history and culture were as essential to Estonians as air. He said attempts had been made throughout history to deprive Estonians of that “air”, but had failed.

The traditional speech by a young cultural figure was delivered this year by writer, poet and former teacher Aliis Aalmann. Her speech focused on deep concern about the education system.

“By the time Arno arrived at the schoolhouse with his father, the system had already burned out the teachers,” Aalmann said, referring to a well-known literary character.

Aalmann agreed with Karis that the older generation should listen to young people more closely and take their views seriously. She said this change had to begin with the older generation, as young people learned through example.