A school for everyone

The state's goal in establishing state high schools is to create "schools that learn together" — welcoming both disabled students and those from diverse language backgrounds. The schools' mission statements emphasize quality, modernity and support for social interaction, and beyond that, their spaces are designed to promote educational excellence, freedom, democracy, gender equality and other core values.

Architectural scholar Karin Paulus' research, part of a University of Tartu project on state high schools, focuses in part on how spatial strategies support both educational quality and social and linguistic integration.

"A new feature compared to the previous generation of school buildings is accessibility," she noted. "For example, having tactile paths for blind and low-vision [attendees], no high thresholds, and elevators — it's a huge change, in my opinion."

The role of integration-supporting architecture is especially clear in Ida-Viru County in Northeastern Estonia, where two state high schools opened a few years ago in the border city of Narva.

"From a researcher's perspective, the situation is fascinating," Paulus admitted. "But for students and families, it can also be intimidating, since the transition to Estonian-language education has happened very quickly."

From an integration perspective, common spaces in schools and joint projects between state high schools are especially important. The country's state high school network encourages this by offering students the option to take electives at other schools.

The schools themselves are also equipped with state-of-the-art technology and, thanks to the so-called Percent for Art policies, feature contemporary art as well. "Spatial policy is therefore closely linked to education policy," the scholar noted.

Another important theme is public space and the related goal of developing it into a community center. For example, the outdoor gym and ball courts at Pelgulinna State High School (PERG) are also available for local residents to use.

"Whether a state high school also hosts community movie nights or allows grandmothers to hold folk dance practice there will also depend on the school culture and the choices of the school community," she emphasized.

A contradictory space

Observations and interviews with school communities and architects have revealed that while the new school buildings have a lot to offer, their architectural solutions still have their drawbacks as well.

One key contradiction comes from the buildings' open and multipurpose spaces — while they do encourage interaction, they aren't actually suitable for everyone.

"Space affects people, but how it works is very diverse, quite individual, and also depends on the other people present in the space," Paulus noted.

"There are quite a few young people for whom an open floor plan doesn't work," she continued. "For more introverted students, alternative solutions have been tried — like 'nests' or cocoon-like armchairs with high backs. But it seems to me that sometimes there's also a need for the opportunity for spatial separation, so that kids don't have to go to the bathroom just to get some privacy."

The transparency of the spaces can also be distracting for students — glass walls create visual connection, but at the same time, for many students, seeing what's going on in the hallway during class can be distracting.

Privacy and body image concerns surrounding changing rooms are an issue as well. "There should be more respectful solutions for trans and nonbinary youth, as well as for anyone who simply wants to get changed in private," Paulus said. This issue is further compounded by the fact that some new high schools don't have their own gyms, and therefore lack sufficiently spacious changing and shower facilities.

Besides architectural choices, practical concerns exist that need to be addressed at the local government level.

Although the main goal of the state high schools' spatial strategies has been to create accessible, neighborhood-based schools offering consistently high-quality education, some of them are already getting overcrowded.

"In several cases, there's no well-functioning public transport system, which works against the strategy aimed at providing quality education throughout Estonia," she added.

Content matters, space is supportive

Although the impact of space on academic success has been studied, architectural scholar Karin Paulus acknowledges that it's a complex issue.

People and their perceptions are complicated, and while a beautiful and functional environment supports well-being and offers comfort and a sense of security, this can't be directly equated with academic achievement.

"It's possible to teach with excellent results even in school buildings with leaking roofs and limited facilities," she emphasized. "Content and teachers matter more — the space is simply supportive."

Paulus writes about her observations in the journal "Studies on Art and Architecture" ("Kunstiteadlikkuse Uurimusi").

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