From this academic year, Estonia has raised the age of compulsory education to 18 years old, meaning all children must attend high school. However, discussions have arisen in recent weeks about the lack of school places.

When a student is marked missing from the school system, it means the state or local government cannot contact them and does not know where they are.

The minister told ETV's morning program "Terevisioon" on Tuesday that many students have not submitted high school applications. This is partly due to students returning to Ukraine for the summer, but some Estonian children have also disappeared from the system.

However, students who have submitted applications have also not received places.

Kallas said holding students back a year to repeat 9th grade is not an option in many cases, especially if they have not received sufficient support throughout their school years.

"These students need a different learning environment, teachers and approach, and preparatory studies are intended precisely for children who have such significant learning gaps or health problems that they need completely different support from what they have received at school so far," she explained.

Kallas also disagreed with teachers that preparatory studies will actually help solve the problem.

Critical situation in Tallinn

Kallas said that the situation is currently most critical in Tallinn. "A child with grades slightly below average can no longer get into any school," she said.

The number of children from outside the capital applying to study in Tallinn has also been higher than average. This has taken places away from local students, she said.

Kallas said that all Tallinn upper secondary schools are currently full, but admissions are still ongoing at almost all of them. This means that students are constantly moving from one school to another.

"Places are turned down again, places become available again. You have to constantly be on the lookout for where places become available," the minister explained. She said this is very stressful and the system should be reviewed.

Karl Erik Kirss, chairman of the board of the Estonian School Student Councils' Union, said it is important that students without a place get clarity on the situation and should be allocated a point of contact from the state or local government.

Kirss explained that many students, particularly non-Estonian-speaking students, are currently uncertain about how their studies will continue on September 1.

"On Tuesday, we instructed our state schools in Tallinn that if a student comes in who appears unlikely to cope even in vocational education because, for example, they do not speak Estonian at all, they should be officially registered as a candidate for preparatory studies," Kallas said.

She explained that this would allow the ministry to know how many additional preparatory study places the state needs to commission.

Vocational schools a viable alternative

Kallas said that new curricula have been launched in vocational education over the past two years.

Significantly more young people are entering vocational education this year than in previous years. "It has become significantly more attractive," she added.

The minister noted that over time, vocational education will become a fully viable alternative after basic school.

Kirss said that the new curricula in vocational education help change students' perception that vocational school is somehow a worse choice than upper secondary school.

"Of course, the current situation, where upper secondary school places are full and all students without a school place are being directed to vocational schools, probably reinforces the perception that vocational school is still a second choice," he added.

The minister said Tallinn College of Technology has more than 400 vacant study places. "If you are interested in the field of technology, then you should definitely contact that school in Tallinn," she added.

If it turns out that there is no suitable study path there after all, the information will be forwarded to the Education Ministry and the ministry can deal with the child individually. "If upper secondary school places are needed, then in Tallinn they are predominantly provided by the city, and in that case the Education Department should be contacted," Kallas said.

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