Four Finnish-curriculum schools operate outside Finland with state support — two in Estonia, one in Spain and one in Russia.

The Finnish schools in Tallinn and Tartu are now at risk due to a new agreement between Estonia and Finland aimed at improving the automatic exchange of population register data between the two countries.

The reform introduced a strict rule: starting this year, a person can be officially registered as a resident in either Estonia or Finland, but not both. Those currently registered in both countries must choose one by the end of January.

This change threatens the operation of the Finnish School in Tallinn, as Finnish state funding may be further reduced or cut entirely, the school's principal Riitta Kemppainen told Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

Funding dependent on registered residence in Finland

The Finnish government provides funding to overseas schools based on student numbers. However, per-student subsidies are granted only for Finnish citizens officially registered as residents in a Finnish municipality.

The underlying principle is that the state supports the education of children living abroad only if their stay is considered temporary.

But under the new data-sharing agreement between Estonia and Finland, Finns listed in Estonia's population register can no longer remain registered in Finland even if their stay in Estonia is temporary. If someone does not voluntarily deregister their Finnish address, the system will automatically do it for them.

For example, Finland has no such agreement with Spain. The Finnish population register does not receive similar data from Spain, making it impossible to verify where someone is actually living.

According to Principal Riitta Kemppainen, Finnish state funding has covered about 55 to 60 percent of the Tallinn Finnish School's annual budget of roughly €370,000. The rest is funded by the Estonian state. Parents also pay tuition, which ranges from €2,420 to €3,920 per year depending on the student's citizenship. The school's total annual budget varies between €500,000 and €600,000, depending on enrollment.

There are currently 42 students enrolled at the Tallinn Finnish School. Over the summer, 24 of them qualified for Finnish per-student subsidies, but by fall, six had lost that funding because their parents had been forced to give up their Finnish residency.

The Finnish School in Tartu has 11 students.

Parents turn to Finnish education ministry

"It really feels awful," said Marjo Neijonen-Ilves whose son attends the Tallinn Finnish School.

"Every child here has roots in Finland and a connection to the Finnish state or language. We want to preserve the Finnish language and identity so that connection isn't lost," she said.

Neijonen-Ilves is also the chair of the Tallinn Finnish School Support Association (TASK). On Tuesday, the group sent an appeal to Finland's Ministry of Education and Finnish National Agency for Education.

"If the funding model isn't changed, we'll be forced to make a decision to close the school — possibly as early as this year," the letter states.

According to Principal Riitta Kemppainen, the reform puts the schools in Estonia at a disadvantage compared to those in Spain and Moscow.

"Our host country and homeland have signed an agreement which, in itself, is good, but it puts us at risk. Since no similar agreements exist with other countries, we're in an unequal position. That's unfortunate," said Kemppainen.

In the appeal, the school and parents propose a solution: Finland should drop the requirement that students must be registered in a Finnish municipality to receive state support.

"In our view, the residency requirement is no longer a viable basis for state funding and does not treat Finnish citizens equally. Why shouldn't a Finnish citizen studying in an officially recognized Finnish school abroad be entitled to government support?" the letter asks.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!