Madise says one failed test should not decide a child’s school

Estonia’s Chancellor of Justice and children’s ombudsman Ülle Madise has warned that intense competition for upper secondary school places is putting excessive pressure on basic school graduates, ERR reported.

Many young people who finished basic school in Estonia still did not know at the beginning of September where they would be able to start upper secondary school. Those who learned their school placement during the summer had to adjust to new requirements that caused difficulties for both students and parents, Madise said on the programme “Impulss”.

“I would not want to be a basic school graduate. Probably not a minister, teacher or parent either. It is a truly difficult situation,” Madise said.

She said the Chancellor of Justice’s office had received many appeals concerning the new admissions system. A survey conducted by the office’s children’s advisory council together with representatives of the Estonian Union for Child Welfare questioned more than 3,000 young people.

The survey found that many students had given up their favourite activities in basic school, including music lessons, training and time with friends. Madise said the intense competition and pressure could make young people feel that a single failure might ruin their entire lives.

Although some young people could cope with such pressure, many could not, Madise said. She agreed with Education Minister Kristina Kallas that the issue required a broader public debate about whether the current system should continue.

“From the perspective of our institution, it is better if young people have more freedom and a greater sense of security. That does not hinder learning or becoming knowledgeable. On the contrary, it supports it,” Madise said.

Madise also urged the ministry to consider proposals from the Estonian Union of Student Councils. She said educational inequality was another important part of the problem, noting the intense competition for places at the best upper secondary schools.

For young people and parents who still do not have a school place, or whose assigned school is not close to home or suitable for them, Madise recommended trying to reduce stress and disappointment. She said the ministry, cities and municipalities should do everything possible to help each young person find a suitable path.

“No young person who has the ability, for example, to become a brain scientist should lose that opportunity simply because one test went badly, because their family does not have the same economic resources and opportunities as someone else, or because they live somewhere else,” Madise said. “Every child and young person in Estonia is extremely valuable.”