Admission to upper secondary school requires completion of basic education and the results of basic school final exams are often also an important criterion. However, this makes it difficult for young people who have studied abroad to continue their education in Estonia as the lack of final exam results often means they are directed to international schools, which does not support their integration or return to Estonian society.

Ülle Matsin, head of the Ministry of Education and Research's general and vocational secondary education department, said that every year, around 200 to 300 upper secondary school-age students who completed their basic education abroad want to continue their education in Estonia. Matsin added that children of compulsory school age living in Estonia are required to attend school in any case, which is why she does not consider it fair for children who have studied abroad to be denied admission to schools because they do not have exam results.

"A school has the right and also the obligation to assess and take into account the education acquired abroad. Students do not have to also take final exams in Estonia and schools must therefore describe in their admissions procedures how they will determine whether applications from students returning from abroad meet the requirements. This must be transparent and based on clearly defined criteria, just as it is for all other students."

Urmo Uiboleht, chair of the board of the Estonian Association of School Leaders and head of Tartu Private School, believes the change is important for both schools and students coming to Estonia. He said families arriving from abroad currently do not feel welcome in Estonia because it is difficult to find school places for their children. Equal opportunities would make the country more welcoming and attractive. At the same time, Uiboleht said the new regulation would increase schools' workload by giving them a new area of responsibility.

Matsin, however, said the change would not increase schools' workload because graduates from abroad already come to Estonia to study every year. She added that the change only clarifies admission requirements and does not create a new situation. Schools will, however, need to take into account that students who have studied abroad may have varying levels of Estonian proficiency.

"Schools now have the right to adapt their teaching. These students can, for example, be given an individual curriculum, which may include differences in course content and the amount of time spent studying, to help them bring their Estonian up to the required level."

Matsin said schools would not be left to handle the changes alone and that the Ministry of Education and Research is prepared to provide support in developing admission requirements.

"For example, in connection with the transition to Estonian-language education, we also have a wide range of teaching materials to support Estonian-language learning that schools can use."

In addition to creating fair admission requirements, the changes will also affect admission dates and give schools a clearer legal basis for requesting data from students' graduation certificates and transcripts.

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