Estonian Ministry of Education: Children under 18 must study at an Estonian school — ERR News
In Estonia, children under the age of 18 who live in the country must study at an Estonian school in order to meet the compulsory education requirement. Enrollment in a foreign school alone, including an online school, does not exempt them from this obligation, ERR News reports.
The ministry's position
Estonia's Ministry of Education announced this during an information seminar for local governments and schools. The ministry noted that the requirement applies to children under 18 who have moved to Estonia, except in certain cases.
The Education Department of Tartu city government asked which legal provision this requirement is based on, as the Education Act does not explicitly establish it. Marika Peekman, a senior expert at the Ministry of Education, explained that the basis is a combination of provisions of the Education Act and the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act.
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Monitoring education
According to Peekman, the law does not provide for the possibility of considering the compulsory education requirement fulfilled solely by enrolling a person living in Estonia in a foreign educational institution. Local authorities must monitor whether the child is studying, whether the education meets the required educational standards, and whether it is uninterrupted.
She emphasized that the Estonian state cannot automatically assess the legal status of a foreign school, the level of its curriculum, the organization of classes, or whether a student has achieved learning outcomes. This particularly applies to foreign online and alternative educational institutions.
From this school year, compulsory education in Estonia has been extended to the age of 18. After completing basic school, students must continue their education at a general upper secondary, vocational, or preparatory education institution. The requirement does not apply to children of foreign diplomats.
