Nearly one-third of transition-school teachers lack required qualifications

About 30 percent of teachers at schools moving to Estonian-language instruction lack the required qualifications, according to data from Estonia’s Ministry of Education and Research, ERR reported. School directors say teaching children whose first language is Russian can require extra work, making it harder to recruit and retain teachers.

Ehte Humanities Gymnasium hired 17 teachers in 2024, when it began the transition to Estonian-language instruction. A third of them have since left. In the following years, the school hired 10 to 15 teachers annually to replace staff retiring or experiencing burnout.

Director Marika Kransiver said some teachers leave for schools where pupils’ first language is Estonian. At Ehte, teachers must adapt materials, and pupils may not speak Estonian at the expected level, she said, adding that this creates extra work.

Kransiver said the school has been able to attract teachers with somewhat higher pay, with the amount depending on what can be agreed. Jogentaga School in Tartu has also tried to offer extra pay, but its options have narrowed. Director Alina Braziulene said the school could previously pay qualified teachers an additional 20 percent, but now can offer only 3 percent.

Braziulene said the school’s funding had changed as pupil numbers fell compared with three years ago. A third of its pupils are from Ukraine, and state support that had previously helped cover costs is no longer available. Some teachers left when higher pay was no longer possible, she said. Meanwhile, more teachers are required to teach in Estonian, but support has not increased.

Läänemere Gymnasium director Deniss Presnetsov said extra pay was important, but the school could not offer it to everyone, including applicants who lacked the required qualifications. He also described a heavy workload, including administrative tasks, filling in e-Kool, preparing IOKs and consultations, and planning lessons. He said some young teachers leave after a year or two.

The ministry recommends that teachers take training when needed to help them teach children with a different first language. It says teaching children whose first language is Russian cannot be considered more difficult if teachers know the relevant methods.