Nearly 1,900 basic school graduates still lack study places

One week before the new school year begins, 1,893 basic school graduates in Estonia still do not have a study place, ERR reported. Of them, 761 are registered as living in Tallinn, according to Kadi Serbak, an adviser in the Ministry of Education and Research department responsible for educational infrastructure and the school network.

Serbak said the ministry monitors the availability of study places daily. Because additional admissions are still under way, it does not yet have a complete overview of young people who have not found a new place to study after completing basic school.

Schools must enter accepted students into the Estonian Education Information System, which allows the ministry to track how many students remain without a study place. Külli Solo, the ministry’s project manager for the education obligation, said that many schools do not enter students during the admissions process, and some young people have already received a place but have not yet been added to the system.

The final number of basic school graduates who do not continue their studies is expected to become clear around September 10. Ministry data show that in previous years, about 800 basic school graduates did not continue their education. The ministry expects a similar figure this year.

Serbak said the ministry was working with local governments to address the current situation. It is also analysing how to make completing basic school and finding a study place smoother and less stressful next year.

She said the ministry had told Tallinn that it wanted to discuss increasing the number of preparatory study places ordered from Tallinn’s applied college.

Admissions are still under way

Ülle Matsin, head of the Ministry of Education and Research department responsible for general and vocational education, told ERR last week that schools were carrying out additional admissions every day. She said this would ultimately allow all students to find a place to study.

“There is definitely a study place for fulfilling the education obligation, and if students currently need further advice, they can confidently contact the schools where admissions are still under way,” Matsin said.

“All learners will find opportunities to study. Through cooperation between the state and the city, there should ultimately be enough study places for all students in Tallinn,” she added.

Tallinn Deputy Mayor Andrei Kante said last week that the reason so many young people were still uncertain about their further study options at the end of August was that basic schools allowed young people to graduate without sufficient study skills.

Matsin agreed that basic education holds several keys. A basic school graduate should receive advice on where to continue studying and know that vocational fields offer many learning opportunities, she said.

She described career counselling in basic school and preparing students to move on to the next level of education as crucial.

Tartu also has young people without study places

In Tartu, about 100 young people had not found a study place as of Friday, according to Riho Raave, head of the city’s education department. The figure includes young people who had not found a place, had not sought one, or had left Estonia, including Ukrainian war refugees. The number is still changing.

Additional admissions are under way at some upper secondary schools and vocational education institutions in Tartu, including Tartu Applied College and Tartu Art School. Raave said the application process was still under way and that he expected the number of young people without a place to fall by September 1.